Project officer Peter van Bockland travelled to Groningen for an intensive programme: on the first day, the project progress was discussed, and the next day he visited the work carried out on the railway.

The second EU subsidy of €12.7 million enabled the province of Groningen to make various improvements to the railway, such as replacing points and modifying sections of track to allow higher speeds. Brussels actively monitors the careful and targeted use of public funds within the EU. Van Bockland was also given an explanation of the work being carried out on the German side of the route.

‘As the province of Groningen and Wunderline, we look back on this visit with satisfaction,’ says Thijs Zondag, project leader for the province of Groningen at Wunderline. ‘It is clear that the EU subsidy is making an important contribution to the realisation of our cross-border rail link between Groningen, Leer and Bremen. In our collaboration with Brussels, we have found that good communication is often the key to finding joint solutions for adjustments in implementation. That is part and parcel of a large and complex infrastructure project such as the Wunderline.’