Council of State green lights plan to upgrade Amsterdam-Alkmaar railway

The railway line between Alkmaar and Amsterdam is allowed to be modified despite objections from local residents, a farming business, and a nature organization. According to the Council of State, all objections were found to be unfounded.

The highest administrative court issued a ruling on Wednesday concerning the route decision for the High-Frequency Rail Transport Program between Alkmaar and Amsterdam. The program includes measures to upgrade the rail link to accommodate a larger number of passengers.

The plan calls for more intercity and local trains (sprinters) to run on the route. Several intermediate stations and level crossings will be modified, and the track where freight trains turn around will be relocated.

Some local residents fear increased noise and vibration disturbances if more trains begin running. One resident also objected to the construction of an additional platform at Uitgeest station, arguing that the station would then be too close to his home.

However, the Council of State disagreed, stating that this is not the case and that any potential nuisance would be limited, as a ditch and greenery still separate the home from the railway.

The Hooge Weide Foundation, which manages natural areas in the municipality of Castricum and surrounding regions, also filed an objection to the plans, arguing that a new freight railway line would partially cut through its territory. However, the Council of State ruled that the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management had sufficiently justified the necessity of the project.

A dairy farmer also lost his case. The farmer owns plots of land on both sides of the railway and fears he will be able to cross less frequently in the future. The Council of State acknowledged this concern but stated that the farmland would not become inaccessible and that crossings would become safer.