Amsterdam subway will extend to Schiphol; Costs to hit €3 billion: report

The Noord-Zuid subway line in Amsterdam will be extended to Schiphol and Hoofddorp within the next decade, and the estimated costs of the project are least 3 billion euros, the Volkskrant reports based on sources within the seven parties involved in the project.

The Noord-Zuid line, which opened in July 2018 and cost 3 billion euros to construct, currently ends at Amsterdam-Zuid station. The parties involved think that extending it can offer a solution to the congested roads and overcrowded trains and platforms on the route between Amsterdam and Schiphol. NS and ProRail also previously argued that investments to improve the rail system will lead to less car traffic and less emissions. 

The extended Noord-Zuid line will run largely above ground, parallel to the A4 highway. The line will have its own station at the airport, according to the newspaper. It will be extended to Hoofddorp at the special request of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. 

The parties involved include the municipalities of Amsterdam and Haarlemmermeer, rail company NS, rail manager ProRail, Schiphol airport and KLM. They are willing to invest in the new connection themselves, but are hoping for a substantial financial contribution from the government.

"The government wants to see plans to make the Netherlands future-proof, such as in the field of infrastructure and mobility. We have worked on this plan for two years an the door has been opened for us at the Ministry", NS CEO Roger van Boxtel said to the Volkskrant. He called the project of national importance. "I can already hear the criticism that Amsterdam and the region always take precedence. That is nonsense. If things get stuck between Schiphol and Amsterdam, and it is doing so now, the whole of the Netherlands will be bothered by that."