(L-R) Marc Hoffmann, CFL Director of Infrastructure Management; Marc Wengler, CFL Managing Director; Sophie Lacour, CFL Director of Passenger Activities; Marc Schlammes, CFL Head of Communication Services; Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu

On Tuesday 28 January 2025, Luxembourg’s railway company, the CFL, held a press conference detailing its planned projects for 2025, at its head office in Luxembourg-Gare.

CFL’s Managing Director, Marc Wengler, Director of Infrastructure Management, Marc Hoffmann, Director of Passenger Activities, Sophie Lacour, and Head of Communication Services, Marc Schlammes, outlined CFL’s plans for improvement and maintenance works across its network during the coming year.

Marc Wengler opened the conference by detailing the company’s progress during 2024, including a 10% increase in passenger numbers from the previous year. 31.3 million passengers were reported to have travelled with CFL in 2024, on over 1,000 trains per day.

Details of forthcoming work involving stations at Mersch, Rodange, Luxembourg Gare, Bettembourg, Troisvierges, Ettelbruck and Howald were revealed. CFL emphasised that work on the train lines will be concentrated around school holidays and weekends to limit the impact on passengers. Bus replacement services will be offered. 

The works and disruptions scheduled for the coming year are:

Luxembourg – Bettembourg (Neibaustreck (NBS))

There will be no trains running between Luxembourg and Bettembourg from Saturday 5 to Monday 21 April (inclusive) and again from Saturday 12 July to Sunday 14 September 2025 (inclusive), to facilitate continuation of construction work on two 7km tracks. These times correspond with Easter and summer holidays. From 2027, it is envisaged that seat capacity on this route will have increased by 50% with up to eight trains per hour running on the Luxembourg-Thionville-Metz line.

Construction of a second platform in Howald will also take place during this time. From September 2025 trains between Bettembourg and Luxembourg will serve the new platform at Howald when travelling to and from Luxembourg central station (Gare). The reconfiguration of the southern part of Luxembourg Gare station will also be completed in 2025.

Luxembourg – Bascharage-Sanem – Rodange – Athus / Longwy

There will be no trains between Luxembourg and Rodange via Bascharage-Sanem or between Luxembourg and Athus (BE) / Longwy (FR) from Monday 24 March to Friday 4 April (inclusive). This is to facilitate the replacement of 20 switches on concrete sleepers.

Luxembourg – Kleinbettingen – Arlon

There will be no trains running between Luxembourg and Arlon from Saturday 15 to Sunday 23 February (inclusive), from Saturday 5 to Monday 21 April (inclusive) and from Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June (inclusive). This is to facilitate the renewal of 6km of tracks,10,000 sleepers and 8,500 tonnes of ballast on the Luxembourg-Bertrange line.

Luxembourg – Ettelbruck –Troisvierges – Gouvy

There will be no trains on the Luxembourg - Ettelbruck - Diekirch line from Saturday 19 July to Sunday 10 August (inclusive) and no trains between Luxembourg and Mersch from Saturday 1 to Sunday 9 November (inclusive). This is to facilitate the renewal of 5.5 km of tracks, 9,200 sleepers and 13,000 tonnes of ballast between Walferdange and Lintgen.

Luxembourg – Wasserbillig – Trier

There will be no trains running between Luxembourg and Oetrange from Saturday 24 May to Sunday 1 June (inclusive) and no trains between Luxembourg and Trier from Saturday 23 August to Sunday 14 September (inclusive).

CFL also announced the removal of two level crossings (PNs) in 2025, including the continued removal of  PN59 in Milbech in the municipality of Contern, which is planned to be finished by early 2026. The removal of PN13 in Dommeldange will begin in 2025 with a proposed finishing date in early 2027. The PN13 in Dommeldange will be completely closed to traffic from Saturday 7 June 2025. Traffic diversions will be in place.

Moreover, CFL spoke of its plans to increase Park and Ride facilities, with an extra 791 places planned for 2025 in Troisvierges (388), Colmar-Berg (237) and Wecker (166). Construction of a new car park in Walferdange will also commence in 2025.

The company also revealed the gradual commissioning of 34 Coradia Stream High Capacity railcars which will lead to more than 46% additional seats by 2026.

CFL emphasised its continued positive responses to customer satisfaction surveys, resulting in the upgrading of facilities in Esch-sur-Alzette, Differdange and Mersch. Cactus points of sale will be available in the Bettembourg, Mersch and Diekirch stations by the end of the year, as well as a customer service area in Luxembourg Gare station by mid 2025. The company underlined the importance it places on passenger needs and added that it will minimise any inconvenience as far as is practical. Works will be concentrated on weekends and holidays with an increase in the number of replacement buses, as requested by passengers in surveys. The CFL said keeping passengers informed of changes as far in advance as possible was a priority.

The CFL mobile application, introduced in 2024, was identified as a simple to use tool with which passengers can view the impact of CFL improvement and maintenance works on their individual journeys. Further information is also available via the works tool on: www.cfl.lu