Overview
- Provincial authorities confirmed that passenger trains will resume between Groningen and Leer from Monday, October 5, 2026, running once an hour.
- On weekdays most journeys will require a transfer in Winschoten with only the first two morning and last two evening runs operating direct to or from Leer.
- Arriva says staff training and line testing are complete and the operator is ready to run the service under the new timetable.
- The restart follows completion of the replacement Friesenbrücke in 2024 and the construction of two new stations at Bunde and Ihrhove after years of delays caused by damaged bridgeworks and difficult ground and groundwater conditions.
- Officials say the initial timetable balances reliability with remaining constraints such as bridge opening schedules and local speed limits, and they present the service as a concrete step toward the international Wunderline Groningen–Bremen link.