Bus Timetable Changes Start Saturday as Cuts Threaten Future Services
Starting Saturday, the bus timetable will be adjusted due to the temp. closure of Groningen Central Station. These changes aim to support travellers while trains are not running to the main station.
Trains will now end at Station Europapark, so bus lines are being rerouted to help travellers get to key destinations. For example, Q-link 2 will run more often between P+R Reitdiep and Europapark, while Q-link lines 1 and 11 will not go to or from the main station. Regional lines 61 and 178 will now connect via Europapark, as will lines 65 and 76. Peak line 110 is also being rerouted to Europapark. This ensures that places like the main station, Zuiderdiep, and UMCG remain accessible without transfers.
A new night bus, line 404, will run between Groningen and Drachten on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Additional buses will also run to Lauwersoog to connect with the ferry to Schiermonnikoog.
More information is available at www.qbuzz.nl/gd.
But while these short-term adjustments are being made, the future of public transport in the region could be at risk. The national government is planning to cut €335 million from public transport funding—€11 million of that could affect Groningen and Drenthe. According to Travellers’ Association Rover, this could have serious consequences.
If the cuts go through, Rover warns that Sunday bus services might disappear completely, and on Saturdays, buses may stop running after 7:00 p.m. Other scenarios include halving all Sunday bus services, cancelling night buses and school buses, or limiting regional buses to early evening hours.
“These are tough numbers,” says Freek Bos, director of Rover. “We could be pushed back years in our efforts for better accessibility and climate-friendly travel.” The largest part of the national cuts is set to come from the student travel product.
In response, Rover has launched the campaign Snijden doet Lijden (Cutting Causes Suffering) to raise awareness. They are asking passengers to vote on which cutbacks they find unacceptable via their website and have started a petition to push back against the planned reductions.
The short-term reroutes may help travellers now—but the long-term future of affordable, reliable bus service in the North is still uncertain.