On 6 May, the cooperation contract to realise an intercity connection between Eindhoven and Düsseldorf was signed. The train is scheduled to start running in 2025 and the journey will take more than 1.5 hours.
The agreement was signed in Venlo by State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven, Minister of Transport NRW Hendrik Wüst, Commissioner for Mobility Christophe v.d. Maat (North Brabant) and CEO Verkehrsverbund Rhein Ruhr Ronald Lünser
For that connection, some things still need to be arranged. Twelve kilometres of single track between Kaldenkirchen and Dülken need to be doubled. A budget of the necessary approximately €135 million has not yet been released. The German government has, however, indicated that this is a high priority. In Venlo, train passengers now still have to change trains because of the different transport companies, this will soon no longer be necessary. Because of this cooperation contract, a tender can now be launched for one carrier.
There will be a stop in Venlo. When the international intercity starts running, the Schiphol-Venlo intercity will be shortened to Eindhoven once an hour. In addition, one Sprinter per hour from Deurne will continue to Venlo.
Good for Economy
The meeting stressed the great importance of the link for a good rail connection with its eastern neighbours. Good for the economy and employment. A good and fast rail connection of Eindhoven Airport and Brainport with the airport in Düsseldorf fits in with the airport's ambitions. And this will connect it to the German high-speed rail network.
Expectations
It is estimated that the new connection will add around 600 more passengers per day (40%). According to State Secretary Van Veldhoven, the line is expected to be extended to Breda, Rotterdam and The Hague at a later stage. The travel time is about 20 minutes shorter and will attract many business travellers. "By car you are faster but you can work in the intercity train on the way," she said.
The complex issue has been on the agenda for 15 years but now after consultations with various international governments and carriers and infrastructure operators, an important step has been taken.
