Howald – another chapter in the development of the multimodal exchange hub
Impressive. This word, best describes what has happened at the Howald construction site since our last visit in February of this year. Where at the beginning of the year, old tracks and tonnes of old ballast were still in place, today literally no stone has been left unturned. What exactly has happened and how the work is now continuing is described in this further engineering works blog article.
In Howald, work is in full swing to extend the multimodal exchange hub. Another platform is being built next to the existing one. Two further platform-connected tracks will then provide the necessary space in future so that the new line between Luxembourg and Bettembourg can also be operated separately from the existing tracks in Howald. This is an important prerequisite for keeping the trains on the Luxembourg – Esch/Alzette – Rodange and Luxembourg – Bettembourg – Thionville/Nancy lines separate and therefore more punctual.
Track panels assembled on site
To make this possible, the first step was to remove all the tracks, apart from those currently in use. The old ballast and part of the soil on which the tracks rests were also removed.
All that remained at the end of January 2024 was bare earth. In recent months, the future track bed has been prepared for its new role. This involved restoring the basic structure of the track bed. No less than 5,400 tonnes of ballast were required for this step. In recent weeks, the future tracks have been pre-assembled in the area of the marshalling yard, located just before Luxembourg Central Station. Brightly coloured sleepers were fitted with rails on both sides and bolted together. The result is 30 metre long track panels, each weighing 17 tonnes.
Heavy equipment is now needed for the next act of the track construction orchestra. With ease, or so it seems, a crane lifts the massive track panels one by one and places them in the specified position with millimetre precision. Little by little, a new image is being created in Howald with brand new tracks that will soon enable a new entrance and exit to the main railway station. An important part of the project for the CFL, to ensure that trains travelling from or to the south can enter and exit the main station separately.
“With the new tracks, we are offering a new connection from the Howald multimodal exchange hub via the shunting yard to Luxembourg Central Station,” explains Louis, project manager for this section of the Howald project. An important part of the huge „new line“ project, which will relieve the busy line between Luxembourg and Bettembourg – and essential for a better service (more or longer trains for more seats). No less than eight kilometres of new tracks will be laid this year alone.
Direct access to the tram from the platform
A few kilometres away, the multimodal exchange hub is undergoing a transformation. Another bridge towers above the tracks. It carries the rails of the tram, which will enable the tram to reach the stop in Howald from 7 July 2024.
With modern-looking stairs and lifts, the CFL provide access to the new tram stop directly from the platform. At the same time, another platform is being built next to the existing one. This is evidenced by numerous foundations, which are intended to carry the load of the various prefabricated platform elements onto the earth subgrade. A total of 84 elements with a total weight of 1,000 tonnes will be placed with millimetre precision in the summer and will result in a platform with an impressive length of 307 metres. This should be available to CFL customers as early as September 2025. This platform will then also be connected to the new footbridge by stairs and a lift.
Underneath this footbridge, the laid tracks will then gradually be welded together in the summer. A work process that requires a great deal of skill and strict working conditions – after all, safety always comes first! So while the track construction work from the main station in the direction of Howald is already underway, the laying of the tracks in the Howald multimodal exchange hub itself will have to wait until the summer. And then we will be able to show you more impressive pictures here.
Read also: A whopping 17 metres extension for the footbridge in Howald