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Netherlands Directs Billions to Housing Infrastructure as Utrecht’s Merwedelijn Secures €562 Million

The decision pushes the Utrecht tram toward initial delivery to Nieuwegein, leaving the Rijnenburg extension to future funding.

Overview

  • New national funding of €562 million, alongside €160 million from the region, lifts total commitments for the Merwedelijn to about €1.8 billion to serve 63,000–75,000 planned homes in Groot Merwede and Rijnenburg.
  • The project will proceed in phases, with the current package enabling work toward Nieuwegein and the Amsterdam–Rijnkanaal as officials finalize the technical variant for the line.
  • Utrecht also receives €35 million to speed housing and improve liveability in Overvecht and Noordwest, while Nieuwegein gets €20 million to relocate Sportpark Galecop for area development.
  • The broader demissionary package allocates roughly €2.5 billion for transport links and €877 million for area measures tied to 273,000 homes, with 106 selected proposals and many set to start before 2030.
  • Regional shares include a substantial portion for Zuid-Holland—supporting the Oude Lijn, the Vlietlijn and more than €100 million for Cortelande—about €300 million for Gelderland’s accessibility plus ~€200 million for remediation and grid upgrades, and tens of millions for targeted road works in Flevoland.