Dutch cities invited to submit infrastructure wish lists to PM: report

The four large Dutch cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague - will have the opportunity to present their wish lists in the area of mobility and housing during a special meeting with the government next week. This meeting will happen with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Ministers Kasja Ollongren of Home Affairs and Cora van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure in Utrecht on Wednesday, sources in The Hague confirmed to AD after reports in NRC.

This is an extraordinary consultation that comes on top of the usual meeting held in the autumn in which regional representatives and the government discuss future infrastructure projects. According to AD's sources, contrary to some reports, this meeting is not a secret and this is not the first time the Prime Minister will take part.

Officially there's not much on the agenda, but the meeting is the ideal opportunity for the G4 to talk about the projects they have planned that have not yet been included in the government's infrastructure fund. The fund is largely exhausted for the coming years, so projects that have to be realized quickly will have to find other financing. This will also be discussed, according to AD.

Projects that may be discussed include Amsterdam's plan to extend the Noord-Zuid subway line to Schiphol and considering two new subway lines on the west side. Rotterdam wants to build an extra bridge or tunnel over or under the Nieuwe Maas. Utrecht is investigating whether its Uithof line can eventually be moved underground to relieve pressure on the city center, and wants an extra intercity station. And The Hague wants to construct a light rail connection from Central Station via Binckhorst to Zoetermeer.