Extension of Amsterdam metro line to Schiphol uncertain as Cabinet pulls funding

It is uncertain whether the extension of the Noord/Zuid metro line to Schiphol will be carried out. The Cabinet revealed in its budget plans announced on Prinsjesdag that it needs to cut back and is withdrawing over 1.5 billion euros from the project. The municipality of Amsterdam is "greatly shocked by the news," said traffic alderwoman Melanie van der Horst said on Tuesday.

The Noord-Zuid line opened in July 2018 and currently ends at Amsterdam-Zuid station. There have been since to extend the line to Schipol Airport. This extension has been lobbied as a critical piece of infrastructure that can boost regional transportation not just to the airport, but for the west side of the Amsterdam region as a whole.

Back in 2021, the caretaker Cabinet at the time committed 1.5 billion euros from the National Growth Fund to help extend the Noord-Zuid Line to Schiphol. At the time, the project was estimated to cost roughly 3 billion euros. The Cabinet confirmed its plan in November 2022.

Although the Cabinet is now taking its contribution off the table, about 900 million euros remain, allowing work on the plans to continue in the coming years. A preferred option for implementation should be in place by 2025. But after that, funding will be necessary to carry out the project. This is something the current caretaker Cabinet wants to leave to a future Cabinet, as revealed in the budget plans announced on Tuesday.

"The importance of extending the Noord-Zuid line, closing the ring line, and constructing the Zuidasdok are of such great value to the region and the country that we expect the government to adhere to the agreements and the new cabinet to replenish the deficit," said Van der Horst in response.

Schiphol Airport responded by stating that the airport will continue to advocate for the extension of the metro line. "We are confident that, together with our transport partners and the (new) Cabinet, we can carry forward the agreements made."

The airport emphasized that the Noord-Zuid line is of great importance to Schiphol, especially regarding accessibility. The extension of the metro line would not only benefit commuters and passengers who want to travel from Amsterdam to the airport by metro. The expansion of the metro network would also create more space on the railway track. This would, for example, allow for more Intercity trains between the major Dutch cities and even more international trains.

All ministries must make cuts, and according to the Ministry of Infrastructure, it was a matter of making choices. The ministers Mark Harbers (Minister of Infrastructure) and Vivianne Heijnen (State Secretary of Infrastructure) did not want projects that could already proceed to be halted.

The Cabinet also said it wants to keep intact the plans for the Lelylijn, a railway connection between the north and the Randstad that could mean a 1-hour train between Amsterdam and Groningen.