CFL Coradia High-Capacity Train Put into Service

On Sunday 29 September 2024, Luxembourg's national railway company, the CFL, announced the entry into service of the first CFL Coradia train.

The first passengers boarded the brand new CFL Coradia 2410 railcar for an inaugural journey between the Luxembourg and Ettelbruck train stations on Sunday. After the inaugural act, the 2410 railcar entered into service for CFL customers in regular traffic from Sunday afternoon. As of Monday 30 September 2024, the Coradia 2409 railcar is also available to other CFL customers.

These two railcars, each with 334 seats (three-car configuration), will initially run primarily between Luxembourg and Diekirch. Their entry into service paves the way for the replacement of the 21 old-generation Z2 railcars (2000 series).

Thanks to the acquisition of 34 Coradia Stream High Capacity multiple units built by Alstom, CFL will offer "state-of-the-art on-board comfort" and 46% more seats to its customers by 2026. The official inaugural voyage took place in the presence of Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Jeannot Waringo, Chairman of the CFL Board of Directors, and Marc Wengler, CFL CEO, accompanied by members of the CFL Board of Directors, project manager Mike Strotz (head of the equipment acquisition division within the CFL trains and equipment department), guests of honour including the mayors of the municipalities served by the CFL rail service and representatives of the stakeholders involved in this project.

"The commissioning of the Coradia is a great moment for mobility in Luxembourg. They strengthen the role of the backbone of public mobility assumed by the train today and even more so in the future," said Minister Backes.

"Welcome aboard our new Coradia! The acquisition of 34 new railcars represents a historic moment for the CFL and especially for our customers who benefit from a considerably improved quality of service," added Marc Wengler. "The CFL train fleet is constantly being modernised to anticipate tomorrow's mobility needs".

Bernard Belvaux, Managing Director of Alstom Benelux, noted that Alstom was "very proud to contribute to the commissioning in Luxembourg of the Coradia range of high-capacity double-decker regional trains". He continued: "Through this project, we confirm our commitment to providing passengers with comfortable and energy-efficient transport solutions, thanks to the automatic operating system (ATO) that will be installed in the future". The trains also have a capacity of more than 15,000 seats.

The CFL also noted that in the automated operating model, the railway company will continue to rely on the experience of its drivers who will remain in the driver's cab and supervise the system.

The 34 Coradia multiple units built by Alstom near Barcelona, Spain constitute the two new 2400 and 2450 series of CFL rolling stock. The 2400 series is operated in a "single unit" configuration (three-car multiple unit, 334 seats) or in a "multiple unit" configuration with six or nine cars (respectively nearly 700 and 1,000 seats in a single train). The 2450 series multiple units have a long format of six cars in a single unit with nearly 700 seats on board.

From Monday, the CFL is putting into service a second Coradia (2409) as a "single unit" with 334 seats on board. By the end of 2024, five other multiple units will be put into service and the Coradia will also run on the line to Arlon, Belgium. In 2025, the Coradia 2400 series will evolve into multiple units (up to nearly 1,000 seats in nine-car configuration) and the commissioning of the 2450 series is planned for the first half of the year before the gradual arrival of the other multiple units on the rail network by 2026.

24 CFL train drivers and the first shunting drivers were trained to have the necessary contingent to provide service for the first Coradia railcars. This training was based on a system combining exercises on a digital module and practical exercises in the field. In a second phase, all 300 train drivers and 42 shunting drivers will be trained to drive the Coradia. 37 train escort staff, twelve coaches and seven trainers for train escort staff were also trained to work with the Coradia.

The commercial commissioning of the railcars is carried out according to a "meticulous" preparation process, according to the CFL, in order to guarantee not only the quality of service but also the safety of customers and CFL staff. The new trains have been adapted to the CFL specifications, in particular in terms of the capacities offered and the interoperability required to run on the Luxembourg rail network as well as the Belgian and French rail networks for the needs of daily border connections.

The approval process in the three countries was carried out under the aegis of the third-party company Certifer / Belgorail and was issued by the European Railway Agency (ERA). In the future, additional approval will validate the use of the Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system to partially automate (speed adaptation) driving under the driver's responsibility.

With an allocated budget of €400 million, the acquisition of these trains (ordered in 2018) is an "unprecedented" investment in rolling stock for the CFL. The purchase of the 34 railcars was financed from its own funds and through loans from various banks in Luxembourg, including the European Investment Bank (EIB).

(Photo credit: © CFL, Patrick Flammang)