Dutch government weighs cuts to infrastructure spending amid multibillion-euro shortfall
The Dutch government is preparing "difficult" decisions on infrastructure spending to address multibillion-euro budget shortfalls. In the meantime, State Secretary Annet Bertram said spending the money on the repairs to the high-speed rail line between Amsterdam and Rotterdam and the rollout of the European ERTMS rail safety system are “really necessary."
Bertram, responsible for infrastructure and a member of the CDA party, and Infrastructure and Water Management Minister Vincent Karremans from the VVD on Friday presented a framework intended to help determine which road, waterway, and rail projects will proceed and which could be cut.
Neither official said what choices the framework will ultimately produce, but Bertram indicated that restoration of the HSL line and implementation of ERTMS are unlikely to be abandoned. “They are also seen by ProRail as two important major dossiers,” she said, stressing the importance of international rail connections.
The government is reportedly expected to reduce spending on construction and maintenance of roads, waterways and rail infrastructure to curb budget deficits. Decisions on which projects can continue are expected in the fall.
Bertram said existing funding could be used more efficiently for regional transportation. “A bus travels empty through the region, behind it drives the taxi for student transport, and behind that the taxi for social support,” she said. According to the state secretary, publicly funded transport services should be combined where possible. She repeatedly cited flexible transport in Zeeland as a positive example.
Unlike previous ministers, the two officials did not explicitly call for additional state funding in Friday’s letter to parliament. “Every minister tries every year to secure more money for his or her budget,” Karremans told ANP. “Only you have to be realistic about that.” He noted that issues such as talks with labor unions also require funding.
Karremans said he sees other opportunities to secure money, including European funding and private financing. The governing coalition wants to allocate a one-time additional 7 billion euros and another 500 million euros annually for infrastructure.
Meanwhile, an alliance of municipalities, provinces and organizations representing construction, infrastructure, mobility and logistics sectors voiced concern over declining infrastructure budgets.
“The accessibility of the Netherlands is at risk,” the groups said in a statement distributed by the ANWB. They warned that the government’s approach could leave planned housing developments “completely inaccessible” and delay maintenance on roads, rail lines and tunnels. “Residents and businesses face major disruption because, for example, bridges and viaducts may have to remain closed for longer periods,” the organizations said.
“Investments are crucial both now and for future generations. That requires political courage and choices that extend beyond a single government term and that also consider alternative ways of financing infrastructure,” the alliance said.
A ministry spokesperson said the closures highlighted by the alliance are precisely what the government hopes to avoid through the choices it will make. “The closures being warned about here are exactly what we want to prevent with these decisions,” the spokesperson said.
