“We have to keep investing in public transport. This crisis will pass and then we desperately need public transport, ”with this message, State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven (Infrastructure and Water Management) recently presented the Future Vision for Public Transport 2040 Development Agenda. the coming years to make concrete decisions in the field of mobility.
At the beginning of 2019, the public transport sector, local authorities and central government jointly presented the Future Vision 2040. In it, the most important contours of public transport of the future were outlined so that public transport is an attractive and affordable option for every traveler. Key points: a metro-like connection on a rural city ring, good connections to the North, East and South of the country and a fast train connection to Germany. In and to the city, new forms of public transport with light rail and fast buses provide good connections to cover relatively short distances.
In order to determine which investments are required and which choices can be made to realize these ambitions, the public transport sector, local and regional authorities and central government have jointly drawn up the Development Agenda for the Future of Public Transport. Menus provide insight into which choices can be made. The maps show what the different options cost, how many new travelers can benefit from them and what snags are involved.
The provinces attach great importance to the development agenda. “Hundreds of thousands of homes and jobs will have to be built in and around the cities by 2030. Good accessibility is a precondition for keeping the Netherlands economically and socially prosperous. Public transport offers many advantages, also with regard to the nitrogen problem and climate agreements. Sufficient investment in public transport is indispensable for the development of the Netherlands ”, says Fleur Gräper (IPO), on behalf of the local authorities.
Thanks to the investments included in the Development Agenda, a train, metro, tram or bus will always run in even more places within 10 to 15 minutes. The train is therefore a worthwhile alternative for the journey between the cities. It also ensures that you can travel faster by train from Zeeland, Twente, Limburg, Groningen and Friesland to the Randstad and that it becomes easier to take the train for a city trip to Belgium or Germany.
“I want public transport to be an attractive option for as many travelers as possible, whether you live in the region or in the city, or whether you have to cross the border for work. Now trains and buses are only available for essential journeys, but work continues to provide the most attractive public transport for all travelers. With the Development Agenda we show which choices a new cabinet can make, but we also continue to work on the necessary investments in public transport for a robust basis. ” said State Secretary van Veldhoven.
The public transport sector, local authorities and central government are unanimous that a number of investments must in any case be made. Investments in increasing the transport capacity and management, maintenance and replacement are necessary for future-proof public transport. All parties also see the extension of the North-South line as one of the necessary investments that contributes to urbanization, the economy and is essential for many other investments in the railways. But tackling stations such as Maastricht, Nijmegen, Zwolle and Eindhoven is also necessary to ensure that these cannot be bottlenecks, but rather important junctions. The collaboration and further planning will be continued in the coming year. This reports it Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management on their website.
