Before the outbreak of the corona pandemic, the diesel trains in the province of Groningen were full of passengers, now they are almost empty. Occupancy in public transport has decreased and income losses are increasing.
Cuts and government subsidies
When the Netherlands went into lockdown earlier this year and there were no longer any intercity train services, the occupancy rate of public transport dropped to 10 to 15 percent. Because of this, the Dutch Railways reported at the end of June that it wants to make cuts of €1.4 billion over the next four years. Now, around ten trains are still running in Groningen on routes such as Groningen-Delfzijl, run by public transport organisation Arriva. Only through government subsidies, this type of route can continue to exist.
Important train lines
Groningen is providing Arriva a grant of €17.7 million this year. According to Dennis Huisman, Professor of Public Transport Optimisation at Erasmus School of Economics, it is of great importance that the province maintains these lines. Before the coronavirus outbreak, it was always busy in these trains, especially with secondary school pupils and students going to school in the city. According to Huisman, without these kinds of routes, young people will leave more quickly.
Quality of life
Huisman therefore emphasises that it is all about the quality of life. The financial risks are mainly carried by the province. If occupancy rates remain low for a long time, the province of Groningen will have to make a choice between increasing the subsidy or thinning out the train services. Huisman suspects that they will opt for the former.
- More information
The full article from Het Financieele Dagblad, 3 August 2020, with comments of Dennis Huisman, can be downloaded above (in Dutch).
