DUTCH infrastructure manager ProRail has issued a final and irrevocable go-ahead for a €246m project to upgrade the line between Amsterdam and Alkmaar in northwestern Netherlands.
The decision follows a ruling by the Council of State, the highest administrative court, dismissing appeals from the Ministry of Infrastructure and local residents. Work will start in 2026 and will be completed in 2031.
The project is part of the national programme for high-frequency operations (PHS), which aims to enhance capacity and enable frequencies of six inter-city trains and four to six regional trains per direction per hour on key corridors.
The Alkmaar line upgrade includes the construction of a new stabling point for passenger trains at Heerhugowaard. There will be six 340m-long tracks, each capable of holding trains of up to 12 cars in length, plus facilities for inspection, maintenance and servicing.
Alkmaar station will be remodelled, including platform extensions, and stabling capacity for passenger trains will be increased. Uitgeest station will be modernised and the track layout there optimised, with the addition of a new bay platform.
Despite safety modifications to 18 level crossings between Amsterdam and Alkmaar and the construction of noise barriers at several points along the line, the maximum speed will remain limited to 130km/h.
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