The provinces of Groningen and Drenthe and a whole series of northern municipalities are going to the farmer with a so-called bid book Lower Saxony Line. They want to convince State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen of Infrastructure to make 63 million euros available to make the train connection Veendam – Stadskanaal possible.
The bid book is a new offensive to realize the Veendam – Stadskanaal train connection. Just before the 2019 State elections, the Groningen deputy Fleur Gräper announced that Stadskanaal would see her deeply cherished wish come true. Last spring, however, the rail network manager ProRail calculated that the train connection would cost at least 115 million euros, not just under 70 million, as was previously assumed. Should Stadskanaal still have to get an express train, the construction cost would rise to 131 million euros. This put the project in jeopardy.
That was a major setback for the region. The Veendam – Stadskanaal connection is necessary as part of the Lower Saxony line, the train connection that connects Groningen via Emmen with the Twente region. The Veendam – Stadskanaal section is part of the missing section of track between Veendam and Emmen.
The bid book refers to the major contribution that the Lower Saxony line can make for the development of the so-called Broad Prosperity in Southeast Groningen, Drenthe and Twente. It can give the region the much-needed boost it needs, is the view of the region.