We also worked for your mobility of tomorrow in 2024

You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs. The well-known saying also applies to the work on Luxembourg’s rail network. The work for the mobility of tomorrow is complex and many customers are affected by the consequences. However, the CFL hasn’t lost sight on its main objectives on 2024.

Still travelling safely

Safety plays a key role for the CFL. No wonder, with passenger numbers growing every year. 28.7 million passengers travelled on trains in Luxembourg and the Greater Region in 2023. This is made possible by a well maintained rail network that safely accommodates more than 1,000 trains per day.

Five kilometres of new rails – in one train

Day after day, CFL colleagues are on the move to keep the railway network in good shape. As in previous years, the CFL has renewed another section of the Luxembourg – Kleinbettingen – Arlon line. In 2024, this was the case between Mamer and Capellen.

Heavy equipment was used here for the second year in a row to renew several kilometres of track. Thanks to the track renewal train, no less than five kilometres of track, including sleepers, rails and ballast, were renewed in just under two weeks. This is important work that is carried out every 20 to 25 years and makes an important contribution to the safety of train operations.

It’s all a matter of perspective – or why negative is sometimes better

Numerous railway bridges line the railways in Luxembourg. Despite all the differences, all these structures have one thing in common: they also need to be regularly maintained and checked for their condition. At the beginning of autumn 2024, a CFL team took on this work.

Using special equipment, the CFL employees took a very negative approach to their work. We are talking about the negative lift truck, which, thanks to sophisticated technology, can provide the employees on site with the necessary view under the bridge from the tracks high above the road. In Clausen, high above the roads, this is not for the faint-hearted. The CFL experts can use this extraordinary machine to inspect the condition of the bridge in detail. Any material defects are recognised and can be rectified promptly.

On the move: Or how 200 sleepers are changed per hour

Compared to wooden sleepers, concrete sleepers offer a whole range of advantages. First and foremost, their significantly longer service life. While wooden sleepers can remain in use for just under 20 to 25 years, concrete sleepers offer an average service life of 40 years. Many concrete sleepers have therefore come to stay. On the line between Dippach-Reckange and Petange, almost 10,000 sleepers had to be replaced more quickly. The reason for this was a manufacturing defect.

The so-called alkali-silica reaction only became apparent several years after the sleepers were installed during the double-track expansion of this line.

Once it had been identified, the CFL’s next course of action was quickly clear: as a precautionary measure, it was decided without further ado to replace 10,000 sleepers. Thanks to the track renewal train, the work progressed quickly.

Making the railway fit for the future – or how the CFL is driving forward major projects for more punctuality and a better service

To ensure that trains can run even more punctually and that the train service can be further expanded (more trains, better connections), the CFL began ambitious expansion projects several years ago. New multimodal transfer platforms are intended to make public transport services even more attractive. The focus here is on the simple combination of different means of transport, i.e. trains with cars, trams, national bus services and soft mobility.

Rodange railway station: a new multimodal hub in the south-west of the country

A recent example of how easy mobility can be in Luxembourg can be seen at Rodange station, which was officially inaugurated in September 2024. Following the completion of the work, which began in 2019, the modernised station in the south-west of the country now has everything it needs to make multimodality a matter of course.

Longer platforms so that longer trains with more seats can stop at the station, new points for more flexibility, especially in the event of disruptions… A new configuration of the track layout (location of the tracks and points) and platforms separates the train operations of the two lines that run in Rodange. Finally, a new P+R with almost 1,600 parking spaces and two bike boxes make it even easier for customers to switch from car or bike to train.

The expansion of the Howald transfer platform

During the two-month closure in the summer, work continued on the extension of the Howald transfer platform. Within a very short space of time, a considerable section of the second platform with a length of 307 metres was built here. With two platforms, Howald will be fit for the future and in the medium term will offer two separate platforms for the independent handling of trains on the Luxembourg – Esch/Alzette – Rodange and Luxembourg – Thionville – Metz lines.

As part of the work, the entrance/exit to/from Luxembourg Central Station was also remodelled. No less than 8.5 kilometres of track were laid between Howald station and the capital’s main station. Important construction work that allows the tracks of the new line between Bettembourg and Luxembourg to run separately from the tracks of the existing line in/out of the main station. This work will enable train traffic on the two lines to be managed independently of each other in future and reduce the transfer of any disruption from one line to the other. This is an important element in improving punctuality on the busiest part of the rail network (Bettembourg – Luxembourg).

For the CFL, the conversion of the area around the main station offers a further advantage, namely that trains can now also reach the maintenance and repair centre from the south for maintenance purposes.

No mess, no fuss – the construction of a new line is progressing in leaps and bounds

With the construction of a new seven-kilometre line, the CFL wants to relieve traffic on the busiest part of Luxembourg’s rail network. Work on the mammoth new railway line project is also making good progress in 2024. The amount of earthworks carried out in 2024 was equivalent to a quarter of a million cubic metres of earth. To ensure that the foundations of the new railway line are also equipped for trains weighing several hundred tonnes, no fewer than 1,800 vibrating tamping columns are now providing the necessary support in the swampy area of the line. Similar work took place just behind Bettembourg station (in the direction of Luxembourg). Here, no fewer than 500 concrete elements were sunk into the ground so that the weight of the trains can be optimally distributed on the ground.

There have also been some major advancements in terms of the construction of the route itself. By the end of 2024, more than half of all overhead line masts had been installed. No fewer than 13 water retention basins have been built to prevent flooding. A large part of the ballast substructure has also been prepared so that the tracks can be laid in the future. No less than 12,000 tonnes of ballast were distributed here. Another spectacular bridge was also completed at the end of 2024. Thanks to the new OA7, a new road bridge now crosses the future train line between Bettembourg and Livange.

Almost 400 new car parking spots in the north of the country

Work on the impressive new P+R car park in Troisvierges (Ëlwen) has also made further progress. At the end of 2024, the new architectural jewel will shine in all the splendour of its extraordinary exterior wall design. Despite its impressive weight of over 600 tonnes, the new building blends harmoniously into the rural landscape of Troisvierges. The new P+R building will be available to customers in the first semester of 2025.

Read also: The Troisvierges P+R, more than meets the eye

More new trains and an improved information service

Welcome Coradia

2024 is inevitably linked to the entry into service of the CFL’s first new Coradia Stream High Capacity trains. New electric multiple units have not only conquered the rails, but also the hearts of many customers.

The long-awaited trains offer everything you could wish for in a latest-generation train. Wi-Fi on board, automatic passenger counting, a generous amount of space for travellers (including those with bicycles or wheelchairs), comfortable seats…

The maiden voyage of the new train took place on 29 September, in the presence of the Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Yuriko Backes, as well as many mayors of the municipalities along the northern line (Luxembourg – Ettelbruck – Troisvierges – Gouvy). In the triple configuration currently available, the new railcars offer 334 seats.

The commissioning of the first new trains was preceded by a whole arsenal of tests as part of the homologation process. In their triple configuration, the trains have already been homologated for Luxembourg, France and Belgium. Further tests are on the programme for 2025. The aim is to homologate the new traction units in six- and nine-car configurations. In the largest version, customers will then have access to trains with over 1,000 seats.

Four completely refurbished electric railcars

In the spirit of the circular economy, CFL completely modernised part of its existing fleet in 2024. This year, no fewer than four 2200 series (TER2n-nG) electric railcars were given a makeover at the Technicentre industriel in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps in France as part of their ‘mi-vie’ overhaul.

Read also: The CFL’s second refurbished TER2N-ng back in service

New look, new seat covers, new driver’s cab interior. Following their ‘mi-vie’ operation, the overhauled TER2n-ngs are shining in new splendour and offer customers additional comfort.

You can find out exactly what has been overhauled in this blog article.

Improving customer information

Customer information plays a key role for many of our customers when evaluating our services. In order to do justice to their feedback, the CFL have fundamentally revised parts of their customer information in close cooperation with travellers after analysing the annual opinion surveys. The aim is to provide simple, coherent and easy-to-understand customer information. This starts with the re-labelling of the different rail routes. At the explicit request of customers, the new designations do without numbers. Line 10, for example, becomes the Luxembourg – Ettelbruck – Troisvierges – Gouvy line.

As part of the final destination of the train, the main multimodal hub on the wayand the last stop in Luxembourg before crossing the border were integrated. These clear reference points provide important orientation points for customers. To improve legibility, colours and typography have been used that are also easier to read for customers with visual impairments. The map of the train network has also been adapted with this in mind and now offers passengers a valuable aid for their daily train journeys.

The displays on the platforms and within the stations have also been made easier to understand and restructured. In the course of 2025, the overhead displays will show the sequence of carriages. This will also make it easier for customers on the platforms to find different parts of the train, such as first class or the bicycle compartment.