News item | 08-10-2025 | 16:54
A very special moment, especially for the region: State Secretary Thierry Aartsen (Infrastructure and Water Management) today gave the official go-ahead for the Lower Saxony Line in Emmen, together with administrators and residents. This is a partly new rail connection between Groningen, Emmen and Twente.
The Lower Saxony Line makes an important contribution to improving accessibility in the Northern and Eastern Netherlands – and thus to structurally increasing the broad prosperity in the surrounding area.
As of today, we are exploring how exactly the line will run, which stations will be built and how fast and how often the train will run. We also look at what the line means for spatial planning: for example, what are the best locations for housing? How can we best utilize the opportunities the line offers?
State Secretary Thierry Aartsen: “The Lower Saxony Line is more than a railway line. It offers a new perspective. Residents will soon be able to go to school or a hospital more easily, and they will be able to get to work more easily. The area will also become more attractive for companies to establish themselves. And there are great opportunities for housing construction. I notice a lot of enthusiasm for the Lower Saxony Line. This is also because the line comes from the residents themselves. That is super beautiful.”
More than 2 billion euros is available for the Lower Saxony line. The intention is to make the preference decision in 2028. It is also a special moment for another reason: for the first time in 13 years, a new railway line is being constructed in the Netherlands.
Electrification Almelo-Mariënberg
Earlier today, State Secretary Aartsen signed an Administrative Agreement in Mariënberg (Overijssel) together with the province of Overijssel for the electrification of the Almelo-Mariënberg railway line. On the route, which is part of the Lower Saxony line, the diesel trains will be permanently replaced by electric equipment from December 2028. In fact, this also represents a step towards the realization of the Lower Saxony Line.