THE HAGUE, 21/02/03 - The Lower House agreed yesterday to not as yet launch an investigation into the big cost overruns on the budgets for the Betuwe freight railway and other large infrastructure projects. Only following a report by the Government Audit Bureau will a working party draw up a proposal for an investigation.

Several parties wanted to begin an investigation immediately. But the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) put forward the proposal to await the auditors' report, which was subsequently supported by the entire parliament. The Audit Bureau is currently carrying out an investigation into the 1 billion euros which the government has set aside to cover any construction risks of the Betuwe railway and the HSL high-speed railway, but the House assumes that these funds are actually used to create extra budgetary space for the projects. The Audit Bureau report is expected mid-June.

A large parliamentary majority stuck to the demand yesterday that all costs of management, maintenance and operation of the Betuwe railway should be born by business and not by the tax-payer, to the disappointment of caretaker Transport Minister Roelf de Boer. He fears that "no trains whatsoever will be traveling on the goods railway," if companies have to pay extra for using it.

Costs of management and maintenance of the 160 kilometer long railway from Rotterdam to Germany are roughly estimated at 15 to 25 million euros annually. The Betuwe link is only expected to start making a profit after between 10 to 20 years. Construction costs have meanwhile risen to over 4.5 billion euros, triple the original budget.

De Boer commented after the parliamentary debate that the taxpayer has reason to feel fooled on the Betuwe line. But he stressed that the grumbling House has always voted for construction of the railway despite dozens of reports warning that it would not be profitable. "We should actually scratch our heads. "

The Socialist Party (SP), leftwing Greens (GroenLinks), LPF and the orthodox Christian (SGP) want to halt construction, but De Boer and the three major parties consider it too late for this. The Betuwe line must be finished and come into operation in 2007, they insist.

Following the Audit Bureau report, parliament may set up a parliamentary investigation, or possibly a parliamentary inquiry, allowing witnesses to be heard under oath. Earlier this week, the Lower House also opted for parliamentary investigations into the animal feed sector and fraud in higher education. In the latter case, there is also a real chance of a parliamentary inquiry, as a narrow majority formed by the Labour (PvdA), conservative (VVD) and center-left (D66) parties appear likely to target this weightiest means of investigation parliament has at its disposal.