(L-R) Sam Tanson, Minister of Culture; François Bausch, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Mobility and Public Works; Credit: MMTP

On Thursday 3 February 2022, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mobility and Public Works, François Bausch and Minister of Culture, Sam Tanson, presented their positions on the preservation of state-owned railway buildings and managed by the Luxembourg National Railway Company (CFL).

Rail network operated by the CFL

The rail network belonging to the State and operated by the CFL includes 68 stations and stopping points, including two on French territory, namely Audun-le-Tiche and Volmerange-les-Mines.

Of the 66 stations and stopping points spread across Luxembourg, 38 have a station building (bâtiment voyageurs).

Station buildings worthy of protection

The Ministry of Mobility and Public Works, together with the Ministry of Culture and in collaboration with the National Sites and Monuments Service (SSMN) and the CFL, have decided to declare in a first phase, twelve station buildings worthy of protection located in Walferdange, Lorentzweiler, Diekirch, Clervaux, Roodt-sur-Syre, Wecker, Mamer, Leudelange, Pétange, Bettembourg, Rodange and Tétange.

At present, of the 38 station buildings, three are already classified, namely those located in Luxembourg-ville, Mersch and Cruchten.

The CFL will continue to work on future projects to bring the country's stations and stopping points in compliance by integrating the rest of the 20 existing station buildings.

In case the development of the rail network is not hindered, the buildings will be integrated into future projects and will be cleaned up according to their future usefulness. Depending on the projects selected in consultation between the CFL and the SSMN, some of these station buildings also worthy of safeguarding may also be subject to national protection.

Related buildings worthy of protection

With regard to related buildings worthy of protection, a second decision was taken in order to declare worthy of protection for ten additional related railway buildings while two related buildings are already listed.

Station buildings to be demolished

Given all the projects planned by the CFL on behalf of the State, the station building located in Berchem will be demolished due to bringing the stop into line with new connecting infrastructures for active mobility between neighborhoods. In addition, the station building in Capellen will also be demolished to bring the stop into compliance and allow the removal of level crossing No. 81b.

As part of the multimodal hub project, the Ettelbruck station building will soon be demolished. The different elements of the planned project are as follows:

  • New track plan with two new undergrounds and new platforms
  • Undergrounding of the N7
  • New bus station
  • New P&R in the works
  • New station building

Following an agreement between the CFL, the SSNM and the State, an arrangement has been concluded so that the municipal administration of Ettelbruck recovers the freestones of the building and the structure of the marquise will be transferred to Pétange for reuse on the Train 1900 platform.

Stations to be classified

Taking the example of four cases of station buildings to be classified, namely Walferdange station, Roodt-sur-Syre station, Pétange station and Wecker station, Minister Tanson mentioned the criteria that led to the classification decision and detailed the specificities of the buildings mentioned above.

These include criteria of authenticity, genre or even rarity. These buildings are witnesses reflecting important plans of the industrial and local history of their location.

Two new classification procedures will be put in place shortly after the vote on the law relating to cultural heritage:

  • Objects worthy of national protection for an entire municipality will be listed on the inventory of architectural heritage. This inventory will be drawn up and classified municipality by municipality by Grand-Ducal regulation, following a public inquiry involving the municipality and the owners.
  • As a transitional measure, the isolated classification of buildings and other immovable property by order of the Minister of Culture will be made following consultation of the owners as well as the municipality concerned. The effects of the classification operate directly with the notification by the Minister of his/her intention to classify and remain in force for 9 months. The classification must take place, after consultation, during this period.

This will result in greater predictability and legal certainty for the owners of the buildings concerned.