Luxembourg Regulatory Institute Reports 30% Increase in Passenger Rail Journeys

On Thursday 8 May 2025, the Luxembourg Regulatory Institute (ILR) published its first edition of national statistics for the railway sector in Luxembourg. 

In a press release, ILR stated that the key figures presented a detailed view of the evolution of the rail network and passenger and freight traffic across Luxembourg, from 2019 to 2023.

The statistical indicators included in the document covered distances travelled in trains/km, passengers/km and tonnes/km in national and international traffic. The report also included financial indicators such as the revenue of railway companies and investments by the network manager.

ILR noted that one of the main developments observed in 2023 was the increase in rail traffic in Luxembourg for both passenger and freight transport. It reported an annual increase in total passenger journeys of 29.91%. The total passenger journey in 2023 was 505.05 million passenger/km. Freight transport reached 230.29 million tonne/km, representing an increase of 1.02% compared to 2022. The total train/km journey for passenger transport was 7.33 million, representing an annual growth of 2.85%. This growth was reported to be  significantly lower than the growth in passenger/km. Freight also showed an increase with 0.41 million train/km, representing an annual increase of 1.48%. Passenger train traffic represented 95% of total traffic, with freight train traffic accounting for the remaining 5%.

In 2023, Luxembourg’s railway network extended over 628 km of track and 271.18 km of lines across the country. 96.81% of the network was electrified, while 3.19% remained non-electrified. ILR explained that the country has nearly 97% of its network electrified, one of the highest percentages in Europe. 92% are electrified in Belgium, 61% in France, 55% in Germany and 78% in the Netherlands.

In 2023, railway companies generated a total revenue of €328.7 million for passenger and freight transport services in Luxembourg. Passenger transport revenue reached €296.97 million, representing a 17.5% increase compared to 2022. Freight transport revenue reached €31.72 million, an 18.82% increase compared to 2022.