The North-South metro line will open in July 2018, nine months later than the last projections, reports NOS.

The head of transport at Amsterdam municipal council, Pieter Litjens, said there were several problems, including co-ordinating the necessary software, testing all parts, and the bankruptcy of two contractors.

‘There has been a lot of nuisance caused by the works in recent years,’ he admitted. ‘So it is even more annoying that there is a delay.’

The late opening will affect other transport services that were due to link up with the line. Although the original budget for the metro was €1.4bn, the final cost is likely to be €3.1bn. Work started in 2002, and was due to end in 2011 but ran into massive buildings subsidence problems along the way.