A historic moment today in Laarwald, just across the border with Coevorden. The spadenstich As the Germans say, or: the first kick in the ground for the train connection from Coevorden to Germany. A symbolic step because the railway line has been there for more than a hundred years, it is no longer suitable for modern passenger trains.
For more than 65 million, the Coevorden railway line to Neuenhaus is going to be refurbished, so that at the end of 2026 there will again be personal trains between Coevorden and Bad Bentheim. A lot has to be done before the Bentheimer Eisenbahn is back in Drenthe.
“But we made it. The train connection is coming. Finally!” Chairman of the board Joachim Berends of the Bentheimer Eisenbahn is a happy man. He is convinced that the new train connection will bring the inhabitants of the Dutch-German border region not only physically but also socially economically closer together. “Think of the opportunities for a cross -border labor market. The train is not an end in itself but also a means.”
State Secretary Chris Jansen from Public Transport and the Drentse transport deputy Henk Jumelet, who also agree with the Germans in Laarwald, also agree with this. Jumelet: “It’s good for broad prosperity.”
It is September 1939 when the last passenger train leaves from Coevorden to Bad Bentheim. On the railway to Bad Bentheim there was also less driven on the German territory. Traveler transport disappeared there in 1974, such as on many regional German railway lines. Buses became better and more comfortable, weigh better and less expensive than rail.
Many regional railway lines in Germany were closed or there was only goods transport left at low speed. This is also the case on the railway line from Coevorden to Bad Bentheim. Railway protection was reduced so that only slow freight trains can run.
But twenty years ago the Germans started to think differently. In Grafschaft Bentheim, the bus lines were no longer able to process the increased numbers of public transport travelers. In addition, it became increasingly busier on the roads with cars. Emissions became a problem. And why should you not have the same facilities in less densely populated regions as in busy regions? So regional railway lines are refurbished and reactivated for passenger transport.
While the German local and regional authorities made plans to at least reactivate the part from Bad Bentheim to Neuenhaus and actually went into the ground, they also started to warm up in Coevorden and at the province. It was thought of being able to completely redecorate the line and to continue the train service to Coevorden and later perhaps even Emmen.
The railway line between Bad Bentheim and Neuenhaus has already been renewed and there have been passenger trains since 2019. And with success. Not the expected 1,700, but 2,200 to 2,500 travelers make use of it per day. The expectation is that driving to Coevorden will yield 900 to 1,000 travelers per day. Important for cross -border workers, students and tourists, Jumelet knows.
But also nice if you want to travel deeper in Germany quickly: via Bentheim you can go directly to Berlin and you are also in Rheine with connections to Cologne, the Ruhr area and southern Germany.
A lot has yet to be done for the remaining 25 kilometers between Neuenhaus and Coevorden. The passenger trains run much faster and so the rail security must be rebuilt: more signals, now protect unguarded consideration and considerable adjustments to the railway line itself. And the rebuilding of three stations: Emlichheim, Hoogstede and Veldhausen and the circulation of Laarwald station near Coevorden.
On the Dutch side, a lot of necessary must be done: Coevorden station will receive a third platform for the trains to Germany and a historic railway bridge in Coevorden must be restored and modernized. The difficult bump that the German trains must be able to ‘talk’ with the Dutch rail security of ProRail has since been taken.
The extra trains for the extension to the Netherlands have already been purchased and will be converted into the blue-white Bentheimer Eisenbahn-Huisstijl in the coming months.
December 2026 the train runs again. The wish of the province and German governments is driving to Emmen and Rheine, so that there is one continuous connection. With less switching.
But that will take years to come. For that, a large piece of track between Coevorden and Emmen needs to be doubled, a new piece of railway line is constructed at Bad Bentheim and a few extra trains have to be added. And that costs many millions that are not there yet.