In fact, almost the entire House of Representatives believes it is important that the bottleneck on the track between Meppel and Zwolle and the tight situation at Meppel station must be tackled. But the four negotiating parties for a new government are still keeping their cards close to their chest when it comes to the required remaining 40 million euros.
The North should not expect anything from State Secretary Vivianne Heijen (CDA) and the message is clear: the bottleneck must be resolved, but this cabinet does not have the money and is in a caretaker position. It is up to the House of Representatives, she says. And that is where the four negotiating parties will be decisive for a new government. Old and new politics are intertwined. CDA, ChristenUnie, GroenLinks-PvdA and D66 want to force Heijnen to make the money available with an amendment.
That, in a nutshell, is the summary of the debate in the House of Representatives about the Meppel – Zwolle bottleneck. A total of 75 million is needed, 35 million of which was previously obtained with great difficulty through an amendment in the House of Representatives.
CDA member Eline Vedder from Ruinerwold – one of the submitters of the amendment – asked the VVD for support. “I don’t dare take the train from Drenthe anymore.”
Habtumu de Hoop (GroenLinks-PvdA) is a northern MP and often travels between Meppel and Zwolle. He often sees the problems on the track around Meppel station. “That rail junction simply has to become reliable again.”
Pieter Grinwis of the Christian Union is the inventor of the amendment. “The question is whether you will pass the Meppel junction,” he outlines in the debate. “And if the money does come, why does it have to take another 9 years before everything is built, and can’t this be done faster?”
State Secretary Heijnen agrees with the House that adjusting the rail bottleneck between Meppel and Zwolle should not take nine years, as ProRail recently indicated. “I wasn’t very pleased with that either. I will be keen on it,” said Heijnen. “I recognize and acknowledge that the Meppel bottleneck is a problem that must be solved very quickly.”
Grinwis torpedoed the words of the State Secretary: “Every day that we wait to make the money available means waiting longer for the solution in Meppel. Thank you for advising the House to make the money available.”
It is the umpteenth attempt by the House of Representatives to make the total amount of 75 million euros available. Alderman Klaas de Vries (Sterk Meppel) of Meppel and deputy Henk Jumelet (CDA) sat in the public gallery during the debate. Their conclusion to the debate so far: “The House of Representatives has now decided, which is positive. But it is difficult that the four possible government parties are keeping their cards close to their chest.”
In 2022, Members of Parliament Fahid Minas (VVD) and Lisa van Ginneken (D66), together with the other members of the standing parliamentary committee for Infrastructure and Water Management, had to make serious efforts to convince State Secretary Heijnen to invest money in Meppel – Zwolle. She ‘only’ managed to get over half.
In September 2023, BBB faction leader Carloline va der Plas also came up with the same type of amendment as is being discussed today in the House of Representatives: 45 million from the cabinet for the bottleneck, and do not let the region help pay because this is especially the case with the municipalities along the railway line. there is no money. But now the BBB is a possible upcoming government party and is also keeping those cards close to its chest.
Tomorrow the debate will continue in the House of Representatives and a week later there will be a vote on the Meppel – Zwolle bottleneck amendment.