Abstract
The southern area of the Randstad urban conglomeration in the west of the Netherlands is faced with a number of planning-related economic problems. The task now presenting itself in the post VINEX (fourth Memorandum on Physical Planning Exta) period is that of strengthening the area's economic structure from an environmental planning perspective. The railways play an important role in this respect. This paper examines how the link between developments in environmental and spatial planning and developments in the rail infrastructure in the southern area can be given concrete shape, and evaluates the existing plans in the context of this. (A)