There are no cuts in bus transport in Drenthe and Groningen. From the end of June, the timetable on a number of lines will even be slightly improved. That may be called a small miracle, given the cuts in public transport by the government and the lower revenues from the public transport student card.
Actually, there should be another 28 million euros worth of expansions and improvements, but that money is not available. The Public Transport Agency therefore proposes to only carry out a number of essential expansions worth 3 million euros, provided that they receive financial support from The Hague. If this is successful, it will be temporary money, and the risk of scaling down the timetable will remain.
This is evident from the draft timetable from June 2026, which was discussed today in the Provincial Council.
On a number of busy lines, buses will run more often during rush hour because they are often too full. Expansion is possible in a number of places on the basic lines network, so that buses run until midnight and on Sunday mornings from 7:00 am. The basic network should actually operate everywhere between 7 a.m. and midnight, with seats always available, but this would require an additional 28 million euros.
The Qlink line 4 (Roden Groningen), the Qliners 309 (Assen Groningen and Assen Gieten Veendam) and the Qliner 312 (Stadskanaal Gieten Groningen) will run more often during rush hour or, in the case of line 312, more often on Saturdays.
The Asser City Line 1 runs longer on Saturdays, so that shoppers have a bus back home every half hour until 6 p.m.
The Hoogeveen Emmen express service (line 127), which was reintroduced last year, will continue to exist for the time being, to the satisfaction of a number of parties in the Provincial Council.
Line 33 Hoogeveen Coevorden will now run via the Hoogeveen Buitenvaart industrial estate and no longer via Noordscheschut. BBB’er Schuette doesn’t think that’s a good idea: another bus line is disappearing from a village. Public Transport Representative Bart van Dekken promised to look at it critically.
The public transport agency also wants to delete 18 stops in other villages, based on the number of check-ins. “But has it also been investigated why fewer travelers check in at those places?” asked Strong Local Member of Parliament Kiers. Van Dekken once again promised to look at this critically.
In addition, the Qlink 5 will disappear from the center of Zuidlaren, meaning travelers will have to walk or cycle further to a stop. Line 51 Assen Zuidlaren Groningen will serve the center of Zuidlaren more often.
With the possible extra 3 million euros, the public transport agency wants to do the following: more trips from Qlink 5 to Annen, finally a bus to the new Delftlanden district in Emmen, and more trips on the Qliner between Emmen/Stadskanaal Gieten Groningen. There will also be more trips on regional lines 34 (Meppel Zuidwolde), line 50 (Assen Groningen) and express service line 127 (Hoogeveen Emmen).
The money must come from the so-called ‘Grinwisgeld’. CU Member of Parliament Grinwis proposed compensating for the cuts in the public transport student card for 2026 and 2027, but this has not yet been officially approved in The Hague. SP faction leader Moinat calls this risky: if the money stops, the timetable will have to be scaled down again.
According to CDA member Eline Vedder, Drenthe could receive 6.2 million euros from the Grinwis money. Public Transport Commissioner Bart van Dekken responds somewhat laconically: even if that happens, it will be temporary. According to him, The Hague should take a closer look at what the cuts mean for public transport. He thus calls on the parties forming a new cabinet to structurally invest more in public transport. Because 28 million euros are actually needed to really get the bus timetable in Drenthe and Groningen in order.
VVD member Annigje Udinga points out that the successful trial with night buses from Meppel to Dwingeloo, Ruinen and Hoogeveen has now proven itself, and calls for structural financing.
Normally the timetable will be changed at the beginning of December, at the same time as the train. But because the new bus station on the south side of the renovated Groningen train station is now ready, so much will change that the timetable will have to be adjusted on June 28.
The travel times of a number of bus lines to Drenthe are also becoming shorter. Because fewer kilometers are driven, this yields 1.5 million euros. That amount will immediately be used to maintain and modestly expand the timetable.