At Luxembourg Station, ‘everyone is a VIP’

Respect is ‘as simple as 1-2-3’. As part of the National Day of Respect in Public Transport on 3 May, the CFL presents how this notion of respect is lived internally to offer the highest quality of service to customers.

Get off the train. Take the underpass. Exit onto the forecourt via the main hall.  It’s 8.05am on a weekday and the flow of passengers at Gare de Luxembourg is uninterrupted.  To ensure that these travel habits run smoothly, the CFL teams are keeping a close eye on things. Since 6.30am, Sandy, Gare de Luxembourg’s concierge, has been working hard to ensure that the station always looks its best.

‘As soon as I arrive, I make my first rounds to check the state of the station and its facilities, so that any damage can be rectified as quickly as possible. I want the station to be as clean and safe as possible at all times.’

Human first and foremost

‘I make sure that the station is always as spotless as possible, that the escalators and lifts are working… it’s a question of respect for our customers and our colleagues’, Sandy sums up:Every day is unique, that’s what makes my job so great. With my colleagues and our security and cleaning contractors, we have to be responsive and flexible.’

It’s a job that fosters human relations, both internally and externally, for the benefit of customers. ‘It’s not unusual for customers to come up to me on the platform or forecourt with a question about their journey.

Some clients require special organisation, such as when a VIP arrives by TGV from Paris. ‘For me, everyone is a VIP’, notes the woman who is also involved, discreetly, in the coordination of VIP arrivals.

Everyone can play a part in keeping the station in good condition. 

Sandy, Gare de Luxembourg’s concierge

As the hall of the station returns to relative calm at the end of rush hour, Sandy takes the opportunity to review the situation with the contractor in charge of cleaning the premises.

Travelling to the centre of the station gare

Away from the morning hustle and bustle above ground, Sandy takes us behind the scences of the station, pointing out that ‘the technical rooms in the cellars and attic are also cleaned to ensure the well-being of our teams and the proper use of the equipment’. In the basement, the stock of equipment is a reflection of the person in charge: managed with a master’s hand.

Sandy is particularly excited about a new purchase: ‘We will soon be installing two new water fountains so that our customers can fill up their water flasks’. A concrete gesture towards sustainable development that is also close to Sandy’s heart, as she has worked towards obtaining the SDK (Superdreckskëscht) label in 2024 for the sorting of waste in stations (by customers and staff).

On another level, recycling saves time and money: ‘I’ve collected tiles that were removed from the old counter areas during the works. They are very useful for carrying out small repairs in other areas without having to order new material from abroad.

We finish our visit by going back up through the northern underpass. Sandy closes one of the many doors to the station that she knows by heart, as she is also responsible for managing access to the premises. Barely time to say goodbye to our colleague before she has to deal with another request. Mobility never stops, and neither does dedication to customers.

Read also: With the ‘H00’ project, the CFL is mobilising internally and counting on the involvement of its customers to ensure that every train leaves on time. Customers can also make their contribution to this collective result. Find out more here : H00: Teamwork for Greater Punctuality