The province of Drenthe says it is ‘unpleasantly surprised’ by the news. The province has not been informed by ProRail about the consequences for passengers in Drenthe. “For us, the traveler is number one and that is why, as far as we are concerned, ProRail must limit the inconvenience to our travelers during the work,” a spokesperson told the ANP.
There is also criticism of ProRail from Frisian politicians. The Frisian deputy for public transport Matthijs de Vries (CU) wants an explanation from the railway manager. “It would be indigestible if Friesland is blocked in favor of another province,” he told the ANP. “Then we’re screwed here.”
Students who travel to NHL Stenden and Firda via Meppel should plan their trips well. Exams are scheduled precisely at the end of the school year, which makes the impact extra large, says Remco Meijerink, chairman of the board of the ROC Firda (merger of Friesland College and ROC Friese Poort), with branches in Leeuwarden, Sneek, Heerenveen, Drachten and Emmeloord.
“About 40 to 50 percent of our students come by public transport,” says Meijerink. “Sometimes they have to transfer along the way. And let’s not forget the MBO students who are doing an internship.” According to the school administrator, the extent of the consequences depends on the alternative. “You can run buses, but if they don’t connect or if they don’t have sufficient capacity, that potentially disrupts a large part of education.” Meijerink wonders whether sufficient thought has been given to the consequences for young people.
MKB Noord is concerned about the measure taken by rail manager ProRail to work on the track more often during the day and on weekdays. “Companies really want employees and young people to be able to come to work and learning places. That is already a challenge for us in the smaller areas,” says Joyce Walstra, chairman of the northern entrepreneurs’ organization.
In addition to passenger transport, freight transport will also be affected by the work.
According to ProRail, 2024 is “just a preview”. “We are currently in discussion with carriers and other stakeholders about the periods of work in 2025,” says the rail manager. “We already know that what we do in Friesland next year will happen much more often in more places in the country in the coming years. We have to, to keep the railways safe and to be able to allow enough trains in the future as well. to ride.”
It is not yet clear where this work will take place.