In the budget documents for 2027, Aa en Hunze is taking into account a possible contribution to the construction of the Nedersaksenlijn. For now, a provisional item has been included, because the municipal share has not yet been decided.
The region has pledged a contribution of 50 million euros to the national government for rail and stations. According to the municipal budget, the MIRT exploration from 2026 through 2028 should clarify how that amount will be divided. Based on a provisional allocation key, municipalities are being asked to account for up to 350,000 euros, spread over ten years. A contribution is expected from 2029 onward, the amount has not yet been finalised.
The Nedersaksenlijn has remained uncertain in recent times due to cuts to infrastructure plans. Minister Vincent Karremans of Infrastructure and Water Management and State Secretary Annet Bertram announced on Friday that the project can nevertheless continue in the national assessment. The approach to the rail junction near Meppel also remains in place.
No indication of rail line near Rolde
The official documents describe the Nedersaksenlijn as a connection from Groningen via Veendam, Stadskanaal, Ter Apel and Emmen to Almelo. For the new section, 34.5 kilometres of track are being considered between Stadskanaal and Emmen, with a connection at Stadskanaal to the Veendam-Stadskanaal line.
- Aansluiting Veendam-StadskanaalSchematische verbinding tussen de plaatsen. Het hoofdrapport uit 2024 beschrijft hier aanpassingen aan bestaand spoor. De lijn tekent geen exacte spoorligging.
- Onderzochte nieuwe verbinding via Ter ApelSchematische verbinding uit het MIRT-hoofdrapport van oktober 2024: Stadskanaal-Ter Apel-Emmen. Geen vastgesteld tracé, geen exacte stationslocaties; varianten worden nader onderzocht.
- RoldeReferentiepunt voor de lezer. Rolde wordt in de geraadpleegde stukken niet genoemd als halte van deze verbinding. Dit punt is het plaatscentrum, geen station.
- VeendamPlaatscentrum ter oriëntatie; geen aanduiding van een (toekomstig) station.
- StadskanaalPlaatscentrum ter oriëntatie; geen aanduiding van een (toekomstig) station.
- Ter ApelPlaatscentrum ter oriëntatie; geen aanduiding van een (toekomstig) station.
- EmmenPlaatscentrum ter oriëntatie; geen aanduiding van een (toekomstig) station.
The map shows schematic connections between town centres, not the exact track alignment or station locations. The new connection under study lies in the Stadskanaal-Ter Apel-Emmen corridor. Rolde has been added as a reference point. Source: MIRT main report Nedersaksenlijn, October 2024.
In the documents found, Rolde does not appear as a stop, route location or study location. Stadskanaal and Ter Apel are also mentioned among the promising stations, plus adjustments to Emmen station, but no station at Rolde. That does not mean that all details have already been fixed: the documents state precisely that the route variants are still abstract and have not yet been worked out at parcel level.
The MIRT exploration should lead to a preferred solution, including clarity about funding and co-financing. The schedule in the start document assumes an analysis phase from the third quarter of 2026 through the second quarter of 2027, followed by an assessment phase through the second quarter of 2028 and a preferred decision at the end of 2028.
The main report lists investment costs of 1.735 billion euros for the solution under study, with a margin of plus or minus 40 percent. That report also mentions possible integration measures for the Stadskanaal-Ter Apel-Emmen corridor, such as noise barriers, underpasses, a railway bridge, culverts and land acquisition. Those effects belong to that corridor under study and not to Rolde.
