John Voppen, CEO of ProRail, warns that the Netherlands risks losing one of its greatest assets—a solid and reliable transport infrastructure—if it does not quickly return to investing at least 2% of GDP in infrastructure.
After years of infrastructure spending being reduced to around 1.2% of GDP, the rail system, roads, and bridges are beginning to show the effects of underfunding. Voppen points out that the accumulated maintenance deficit has reached alarming proportions, and the Court of Auditors estimates a total of EUR 54.5 billion is needed just to bring the networks up to a safe and functional level. Of this amount, €20 billion is estimated for ProRail (the Dutch railway infrastructure manager) and EUR 34.5 billion for Rijkswaterstaat, the institution that manages the country’s road and waterway infrastructure.
In an interview with De Telegraaf, Voppen and Rijkswaterstaat director Martin Wijnen explained that Dutch transport, although considered for years to be one of the best in Europe, is now facing a sharp decline in quality. More and more infrastructure sectors are being maintained through minimal, “patchwork” interventions, rather than through in-depth work to address structural problems. Currently, more than 80 areas of the road network are subject to traffic restrictions for safety reasons, and rail defects have increased by 21% compared to 2019. The situation is also affecting the economy, as critical connections in the country, such as access from the port of Rotterdam to the hinterland, are becoming increasingly vulnerable. Voppen points out that the problem is not maritime transport, but the fact that land infrastructure can no longer cope with the volumes, and companies are beginning to notice these bottlenecks when making decisions about investment or relocation.
In this context, ProRail is insisting on a return to the level of funding that has kept the Netherlands at the top of European infrastructure for decades, with an allocation of 2% of GDP for infrastructure. Only this level, says Voppen, can cover the huge investment needs and prevent the accelerated deterioration of transport networks. According to estimates, reaching the proposed threshold would bring in an additional EUR 2 billion annually, enough to stabilize the situation and ensure the continuity of already planned modernization projects.
ProRail’s plans for 2030
Looking ahead to 2030, ProRail has an extensive network transformation program underway, which includes technological modernization, capacity increases, and massive investments in sustainability and operational efficiency. The implementation of the European ERTMS system is one of the central projects, both for safety and for the digitization of rail transport. The program involves nearly EUR 4 billion and includes equipping the main lines with modern technology, along with modernizing the GSM-R network in preparation for the transition to the future FRMCS (Future Railway Mobile Communication System) platform. In the coming years, ProRail also plans to modernize and expand up to 30 major railway stations, a project estimated at EUR 3.5 billion , aimed at increasing accessibility and enabling a significant increase in passenger flow, estimated at around 40% by 2030.
Another objective is to strengthen the infrastructure to cope with the increase in traffic and reduce noise impact in urban areas, with the necessary investments amounting to approximately EUR 560 million. Added to this are essential maintenance programs, as much of the rail network is reaching or exceeding its design life. For this reason, ProRail is focusing on predictive maintenance and the use of digital technologies to constantly monitor the condition of the infrastructure, so that costly interventions can be anticipated and optimized.
The company is also setting ambitious sustainability targets: climate neutrality for its own energy consumption, a 25% reduction in CO₂ emissions from the material chain, and the introduction of innovative solutions such as sustainable sleepers, environmentally friendly materials for station design, and projects to extend the service life of rails. At the same time, guidelines are being developed for the reuse of railway materials to reduce waste and dependence on new resources.
However, without adequate funding, these plans risk remaining on paper. Voppen warns that the Netherlands can no longer postpone the decisive moment: without a return to investments of 2% of GDP, the transport system—the backbone of the national economy—will continue to deteriorate, and future costs will be much higher than those needed now to remedy the situation.
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