20 switches carefully replaced between Luxembourg and Pétange
engineering works/projects
//9 April 2025
Friday 4 April 2025 saw the end of a major phase of maintenance work on the Luxembourg – Bascharage-Sanem – Rodange- Athus respectively Longwy lines. Following the replacement of 10,000 concrete sleepers in November 2024, 20 new switches were installed between 14 March and 4 April 2025.
The operations at the end of 2024 were carried out at a rate of 200 concrete sleepers replaced on average every hour. On the other hand, the switches need to be replaced individually because of the precise interlocking of the rails and the turnout drives, which means that the work has to be carried out partly by hand, and therefore required a second phase of work in spring 2025.
The Infrastructure Maintenance teams are replacing a switch motor. This motor operates the ‘blade’ of the switch, which determines the direction of the train.The Infrastructure Maintenance teams are replacing a switch motor. This motor operates the ‘blade’ of the switch, which determines the direction of the train.A switch motor replaced during these works.These works also involve removing and reinstalling previously pre-assembled track panels. After installation, the necessary ballast is added to ensure that the switch is correctly positioned.After the tamping machine is used to adjust the position of the tracks, the track spacing is measured and checked to the nearest millimetre.After the tamping machine is used to adjust the position of the tracks, the track spacing is measured and checked to the nearest millimetre.Specialised equipment from an external service provider is needed to move and then restore the track.Once the switches have been installed, the tamping machine is used to stabilise the rails and ballast.The replaced concrete sleepers (pictured here at the Schouweiler stop) have an expected lifetime of 40 to 50 years, twice as long as wooden sleepers.Each concrete sleeper weighs 300 kilos, compared to 80 kilos for wooden sleepers.The power supply to the overhead lines is suspended during the works. To avoid any risk and for safety reasons, each electrical sector is grounded.The works were carried out in several phases, depending on the availability of the external service provider’s teams and specialist equipment, and in order to minimise the impact on rail service.Periods of intense work for the 20 switches concerned, carried out with meticulous care and expertise by the CFL Infrastructure Maintenance teams.Train services on the Luxembourg – Bascharage-Sanem – Rodange – Athus and Longwy lines were interrupted during the works. A switch replacement here at the Dippach-Reckange stop.The CFL carried out these operations to continue to guarantee the safety of their customers and staff. A non-negotiable priority.
