Eurotrack: North Holland

🚄 Zuidasdok to open new passage at Amsterdam Zuid on 1 November (Netherlands)

2026-11-01T06:00:00Z

The new Brittenpassage at Amsterdam Zuid station is due to open on 1 November 2026, about 200 metres west of the existing station passage, with lifts, escalators, shops and a large bicycle parking area; changing between train, metro and tram (Parnassusweg stop) becomes easier. Straight afterwards the existing Minervapassage will be rebuilt to become taller and three times as wide so that it can handle more passengers; the Nieuw-Zuid consortium (Mobilis, Boskalis, Van Gelder) is carrying out the work within Zuidasdok, a joint project of ProRail, Rijkswaterstaat and the City of Amsterdam, and the report gives no costs. Announced on 5 June 2026; the date marks the opening of the Brittenpassage, and the article gives no date for the Minervapassage rebuild. (LOK Report, 5 Jun 2026) — Source: https://www.lok-report.de/news/europa/niederlande/niederlande-die-neue-passagierpassage-am-bahnhof-amsterdam-zuid-wird-am-1-november-eroeffnet.html

🤝 Ahold Delhaize to buy Tesco Czechia and Slovakia for €1.2bn (Netherlands / Czech Republic / Slovakia)

2026-10-30T06:00:00Z

Ahold Delhaize is taking over Tesco's entire business in Czechia and Slovakia, with more than 360 own stores, over 100 franchise stores, about €3.5bn in sales and more than 14,000 employees. Enterprise value is about €1.2bn (around €1.7bn including lease liabilities); Ahold Delhaize is already present in Czechia with Albert, while Slovakia would be a new market. Closing is expected in Q4 2027, subject to regulatory approvals (VRT, 30 Oct 2026; second source: TASR, 30 Oct 2026). — Sources: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/10/30/ahold-delhaize-neemt-supermarktketen-in-tsjechie-en-slovakije-ov/ · https://www.teraz.sk/ekonomika/ahold-delhaize-sa-dohodla-na-akvizicii/1003879-clanok.html

📉 TomTom to cut around 200 jobs in three-division reorganisation (Netherlands)

2026-10-15T06:00:00Z

The mapping and navigation company TomTom is reorganising into three divisions, Automated Driving, Location Intelligence and Navigation, removing management layers and putting around 200 roles at risk. Group revenue fell 6% to €129m in the third quarter; the company already cut jobs in 2025 (TomTom, quarterly statement, 15 Oct 2026). — Source: https://www.tomtom.com/newsroom/press-releases/earnings-other/29691/third-quarter-2026-results/

📉 Arcadis to cut around 1,000 jobs across the group (Netherlands)

2026-09-29T06:00:00Z

Amsterdam-based engineering and consulting group Arcadis (over 34,000 staff in more than 30 countries) plans to cut roughly 1,000 full-time positions under the 2027–2029 strategy it presented on 29 September 2026, with the overhead adjustment targeted for 2027. It also intends to sell most of its architecture business and its China operations, which should lift the operating EBITDA margin by about one percentage point, while hiring continues in growth areas. The countries and sites affected have not yet been named (Arcadis, 29.09.2026). — Source: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/29/3370381/0/en/2027-2029-strategy-arcadis-reset-focused-growth-sustainable-value.html

🚄 Amsterdam opens IJtram extension to Strandeiland (Netherlands)

2026-08-31T06:00:00Z

Amsterdam's IJtram (line 26) is being extended from its former terminus in IJburg across two new bridges to the artificial islands of Centrumeiland and Strandeiland. Construction started in 2023; after several postponements (December 2025, 3 May 2026, 4 July 2026), the line has been in test operation since summer 2026, including a completed Pampuslaan stop. Operator GVB targets 17 August 2026 for the start of passenger service and has procured 13 additional trams for the extension; a further extension to Pampusbuurt is planned for 2035. Update (31 August 2026): Tram line 26 has run to Strandeiland since 31 August 2026 with three new stops (Centrumeiland, Buiteneilandlaan, Franz Kafkastraat); travel time to Central Station is about 25 minutes. Of the 10,000 homes planned on IJburg 2, 1,500 have been completed so far (GVB, 31 August 2026). — Source: https://over.gvb.nl/nieuws/nieuwe-woonwijken-op-ijburg-vanaf-31-augustus-aangesloten-op-tram-26/

🤝 WSP Global tables second unsolicited offer for Arcadis (Canada / Netherlands)

2026-07-24T06:00:00Z

Canadian engineering group WSP Global confirmed on 24 July 2026 that it had submitted a second unsolicited, non-binding proposal to Dutch competitor Arcadis at €51.50 per share — a premium of around 45.8% to the unaffected share price of 22 July 2026. Arcadis rejected an initial offer of €48.50 per share, made on 1 July, on 14 July, saying it did not address concerns about strategic and cultural fit, deal certainty and stakeholder interests. The Arcadis boards have so far not accepted WSP's invitations to talk, and no binding agreement exists. WSP does not state a total transaction value — the reported figure of around US$5bn is press reporting (second source: BNN Bloomberg, 24 July 2026). UPDATE (30 July 2026): The Arcadis board unanimously rejected WSP Global's second non-binding proposal of €51.50 per share as value-destroying. Arcadis points to its own new medium-term targets and argues that the roughly half-equity component of the offer would mean higher leverage and a lower dividend yield. Update (22 Sep 2026): WSP Global has abandoned its takeover pursuit and will not make a public offer for Arcadis, citing the lack of meaningful engagement with the Arcadis board on transaction terms; Arcadis remains independent (Arcadis press release, 22 Sep 2026: https://www.arcadis.com/en/news/global/2026/arcadis-comments-on-wsps-decision-to-not-proceed-with-its-offer). — Source: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/07/24/3332870/0/en/WSP-confirms-submission-of-non-binding-indicative-expression-of-interest-to-Arcadis-N-V-to-acquire-all-issued-and-outstanding-shares-in-the-capital-of-Arcadis-N-V-for-an-offer-pric.html

🤝 Ton van Kuyk Groep acquires car dealer Klaver Autogroep (Netherlands)

2026-07-24T06:00:00Z

North Holland-based Ton van Kuyk Groep is acquiring the Alkmaar dealer group Klaver Autogroep, comprising Klaver Auto, Klaver Lease and Autoschade Herstel Roos. The deal ends 89 years of independence for the dealer founded in 1937; operations and staff are to be retained. Managing directors Huub Meijer and Elke Klaver cite consolidation pressure in car retail, where scale matters increasingly. No purchase price was disclosed. Second source: bkan.nl. — Source: https://www.automotive-online.nl/management/2026/07/24/ton-van-kuyk-groep-neemt-klaver-autogroep-over/

🤝 AkzoNobel rejects Nippon Paint bid for paints unit (Netherlands)

2026-07-13T06:00:00Z

AkzoNobel confirmed receiving several conditional, non-binding offers from Nippon Paint for its decorative paints business (including the Dulux brand) with an indicative valuation of €7.5 bn. The board rejects the offer as a significant undervaluation; due to the ongoing merger agreement with Axalta (vote on 5 August), AkzoNobel is not permitted to engage with it. Nippon Paint had already been rebuffed in May with a €12.5 bn offer for the entire group. Update (5 August 2026): at the shareholder meetings on 5 August 2026 both AkzoNobel and Axalta shareholders approved the planned all-share merger; AkzoNobel reports an overwhelming majority for all merger resolutions. Completion remains subject to regulatory approvals and is expected at the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. Any rapprochement with Nippon Paint is therefore off the table for the foreseeable future. — Source: https://www.akzonobel.com/en/media/media-releases/akzonobel-confirms-receiving-offers-from-nippon-paints-for-its-decorative-paints-business

📉 Heineken announces cutting up to 6,000 jobs worldwide (Netherlands / International)

2026-02-12T06:00:00Z

Heineken has announced the worldwide cutting of up to 6,000 jobs. Background: European brewers are confronted with a 'sobering reality' – beer consumption has been declining almost everywhere since the pandemic. The impact on the Swiss brands Calanda and Eichhof is unclear. Heineken is one of the largest beer groups in the world. — Source: https://www.srf.ch/news/wirtschaft/stellenabbau-bei-heineken-ernuechternde-realitaet-bierbrauer-beklagen-nachlassenden-durst

📉 ABN Amro to cut a net 5,200 jobs by 2028 (Netherlands)

2025-11-25T06:00:00Z

ABN Amro is cutting a net 5,200 full-time positions by 2028 (almost a quarter of the workforce compared with the end of 2024); about half through natural attrition. New CEO Marguerite Berard is wielding the axe for cost reduction and a profitable growth strategy; goals for 2028: >12% return on equity, a <55% cost-income ratio, >€10 bn in profit. — Source: https://www.diepresse.com/20343808/niederlaendische-bank-abn-amro-kuendigt-massiven-stellenabbau-an

🚄 Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm now operational (Netherlands)

2023-12-31T06:00:00Z

The Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm is located in the Dutch North Sea and comprises 69 Siemens Gamesa SG 11.0-200 DD turbines of 11 MW each, totalling 759 MW of installed capacity. It is operated by CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco; construction began in October 2022, the final turbine was installed in October 2023, and full grid operation was confirmed in June 2024. The subsidy-free park is expected to generate around 3.3 TWh of electricity per year. — Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollandse_Kust_Noord_Offshore_Wind_Farm

🚄 Amsterdam's Noord/Zuidlijn metro line opens (Netherlands)

2018-07-21T06:00:00Z

The Noord/Zuidlijn (Line 52) connects Amsterdam-Noord with Amsterdam-Zuid over 9.7 km, about 7.1 km of which run underground, with eight stations (including Noord, Centraal Station, Rokin, Vijzelgracht, De Pijp, Europaplein). Construction ran from April 2002 until the official opening on 21 July 2018 (public service began 22 July 2018) and cost around EUR 3.1 billion, far above the originally budgeted EUR 681 million. The deepest station, De Pijp, lies 26.5 meters below ground; the deepest tunnel point between Rokin and Vijzelgracht reaches 31.7 meters below sea level. — Source: https://vervoerregio.nl/artikel/20240715-de-noordzuidlijn-in-50-feiten-en-cijfers