NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR LIGHT RAIL ON DUTCH RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE

The main road and rail transport corridors in the Netherlands are having to handle increasingly large volumes of traffic. Railned BV was founded to optimise the use of Dutch rail infastructure in current and future contexts, and is also responsible for rail safety in the Netherlands. It is commissioned by the Ministry of Transport, and is impartial and independent in relation to all carriers on the Dutch rail network. Thus, it has played a very valuable part in assessing rail projects. Four different types of light rail project are distinguished in the Netherlands: (1) metropolitan light rail in large conurbations, using only rail infastructure; (2) metropolitan light rail in large conurbations, using both rail and urban infastructure; (3) minor routes in large conurbations and main routes in smaller urban areas; and (4) regional lines. There are seven pilot plans for Dutch light rail. For example, RandstadRail aims for greater accessibility between The Hague and Rotterdam, and Randstadspoor Utrecht aims to provide more transport, lower annual costs, and a more sustainable future. In addition, the Amsterdam underground network will include a north-south line. It seems certain that, by 2005, light rail wil be operating at several locations in the Netherlands, although cost is the chief problem to be solved.