New Train Platforms, Footbriges Officially Open at Luxembourg, Bettembourg Railway Stations

On Sunday 12 December 2021, Luxembourg's national railway company, the CFL, officially inaugurated two new train platforms, four new platform tracks and the footbridge at Luxembourg Railway Station (Gare de Luxembourg), as well as the new footbridge at Bettembourg railway station.

The official inauguration took place in the presence of François Bausch, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mobility and Public Works, members of the mobility and public works committee, the first alderman of the City of Luxembourg and the first alderman of the Municipality of Bettembourg, as well as members of the Board of Directors and of the General Directorate of CFL.

The extension project at Luxembourg Gare and the opening of a footbridge at Bettembourg station aim to respond to the CFL's growing activities. In recent years, CFL has observed a significant increase in the number of customers on board its trains. Between 2003 and 2019, for example, the number of passengers rose by 85%. Moreover, there is considerable activity in the freight sector, with, for example, 2,333 million tonne-km of goods transported and nearly 200,000 handling operations carried out at the intermodal terminal in Bettembourg-Dudelange in 2020.

The CFL noted that such modernisation and extension projects are feasible in particular as a result of a historic State investment programme. In 2021, the State will have invested a little over €300 million in Luxembourg's rail infrastructure. In 2020 alone, more than €500 per resident was invested per inhabitant in this infrastructure.

Luxembourg Gare

To offer a quality service in Luxembourg's busiest railway station, the CFL launched an extension and reconfiguration project in 2018. At the end of the works, the costs related to the project will amount to €171 million.

After a partial commissioning of platform V with the docking of track 11 in 2019, the CFL reached an important next step in this major project on Sunday, with the official opening of two new platforms (V and VI) and four additional platform tracks (11-14).

The work carried out also includes the complete reconfiguration of the northern part of Luxembourg Gare, which was carried out throughout the second part of the year 2021. These works have laid the groundwork for a more efficient and flexible (e.g. in case of disruption) central railway station.

In 2022, the CFL will complete the work carried out in the northern part of Luxembourg Gare to redesign the track plan in the southern part of the station. At the end of this work, each train line will then have its own dedicated track. This is aimed at not only ensuring optimal use of the new platforms and additional platform tracks, but also physically separating the different train lines in the station.

In addition to the works carried out on the railway infrastructure of Luxembourg Gare, the old footbridge in place since 2010 has been replaced. With its shape and curved glazing, as well as the modern, hilly design of its staircase roofs, the new footbridge connecting the Bonnevoie and Gare districts to the central railway station is a symbol of the renewal of a station located in the centre of a network in full transformation, according to CFL.

Under construction since May 2021, the footbridge consists of five elements, some of which have exceeded 80 tonnes. As well as six staircases, there are six lifts, which allow barrier-free access to the railway platforms from the footbridge.

As of 12 December 2021, customers can already take advantage of four (platforms I-IV) of these elevators to access their train. 

Bettembourg station

During the past months, construction work on a new footbridge has also been carried out at Bettembourg station to allow barrier-free access to platforms. Work on the footbridge began in November 2020. Welded in a workshop in Germany, the main elements of the metallic frame of the footbridge were transported in part on the Moselle between Trier and Mertert by boat in view of their impressive size. The various elements of the footbridge were then pre-assembled in the car park near their final location. Since its inception, the footbridge has been completed with finishing work as well as the installation of four lifts. CCTV cameras and lighting have also been installed for security purposes. The costs related to the installation of this new footbridge amount to €13 million.

The modernisation and extension of the Bettembourg station will be continued in the future. From 2025, this station will be completely redeveloped with the aim of optimising rail traffic, both for freight and passenger traffic. The extension of the Bettembourg station includes, among other things, the extension of the existing platforms to allow reception of longer trains with more seats. The various platforms will also be enlarged to provide more space for customers on site. Moreover, the project will be completed by the construction of awnings, offering protection from bad weather, and noise barriers. At the same time, renovation work will be carried out on the existing underground level, which will be enlarged and equipped with lifts.