The construction of the second track at Emmen-Zuid train station has finally been completed. And that means good news for train passengers on the route between Emmen and Zwolle. Due to the extra railway line of six hundred meters, the traveler is not only a few minutes faster on location, but he also benefits from a better service and accessibility of Emmen.
In the past two years, a lot of work has been done on the track doubling and this week the first trains will run on the brand new track. The doubling is part of the Northern Netherlands Railway Plan. According to Aldert Baas, spokesperson for ProRail, the second track is part of a major investment program to improve accessibility in the north of the country.
“It concerns a budget of 1 billion euros for the investment program,” says Baas, who indicates that travelers from Drenthe also benefit from this. “It means a profit for the passengers. For example, trains in Emmen-South can pass each other and for the local trains there is a driving profit of three minutes.”
According to Baas, the improvements to the route in Emmen are not the only improvements to the track in the province. “In the coming period, a bend in the track will be adjusted in Hoogeveen, which improves the connection between Assen and Zwolle.” The investment program is intended to improve the existing routes, without constructing a completely new route. The total costs of, among other things, the construction of the second track in Emmen-South is 11 million euros.