Two extra trains per hour from Groningen to Zwolle and vice versa: if it is up to the NS, they will be there. But The Hague has decided otherwise.
According to Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland, the northern provinces are underserved, the province of Groningen writes in a letter to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
In the new transport concession of the main rail network, the ministry does not want to run any extra intercity trains between Groningen and Zwolle, which would also stop in Assen. This transport concession applies from 2025 to 2033.
“We would love to have these extra trains,” the NS said to the broadcaster when asked. According to the carrier, there are snags to scaling up the timetable. A train every 15 minutes is not possible: then there will be a problem at Meppel station, which currently has one platform too few to handle the increasing number of passengers. An extra platform costs 75 million euros.
In addition, the main rail network is now financially even. “There are lines that generate money and lines that need money,” says the spokesperson. “As there are more regions that want extra trains, that becomes a puzzle.”
The province of Groningen is not in favor of granting open access to another party, the broadcaster reports. If another carrier wanted to drive on the route to Zwolle outside the concession, that carrier would not be bound by any rules. The province now fears for the continuity of the timetable.