From Amsterdam via Groningen to Hamburg
To the major cities of northern Europe
A good rail connection between Amsterdam and the North is lacking. The current Intercity to Groningen takes too long (200km, 2 hours), and from Groningen there is no high-speed rail connection to Hamburg. Connecting Amsterdam by high-speed rail to Hamburg (450km) will make the city accessible in two hours (comparable to the Paris – Lyon line, which covers the same distance in less than 2 hours). From there, the train can continue to Copenhagen. Thus, car and air traffic between Amsterdam, Hamburg and Copenhagen will also be substituted by the environmentally friendly high-speed train.
Three developments create unique opportunity
Three opportunities are currently coming together to realize a high-speed rail connection between Amsterdam and Copenhagen: the Dutch government has decided in the 2021 coalition agreement that a new rail connection between Amsterdam and Groningen should be realized (the Lelylijn). In addition, Germany has had a green-party government since 2021, which is committed to more sustainability, including in transportation. And finally, the railroad between Hamburg and Copenhagen is currently being upgraded to high-speed rail, and the route is being shortened considerably thanks to an underseas tunnel between the two countries. A high-speed rail connection will therefore make not only Groningen and Hamburg easily accessible, but also Scandinavia.