Luxembourg - General Information
Country Name
Luxembourg
National Railway System
National Railway Operator
Chemins de fer Luxembourgeois (CFL).
Language
Letzebuergesch, French and German
Currency
Euro
UIC code
numeric 82; alpha L
Timetable
Journey Planner
Downloadable Timetable
Pocket Timetables. Under "Pocket timetables", select the option required:
- National
- International
Printed Timetable
CFL no longer produces a printed timetable. However, timetable leaflets are available for each line and for bus services and international trains.
Engineering Information
There is another link for disruptions.
Bus Information
Tram Information
Maps
Printed Maps
- European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball.
- European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - France and Benelux) by M.G. Ball.
- Eisenbahnatlas Frankreich Band 1: Nord by Schweers + Wall. Page 19 shows railways in southern half of Luxembourg.
- Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland by Schweers + Wall - has a page including the Trier - Wasserbillig area.
Web-based Maps
- Sporenplan has a schematic track diagram. Click on "Sporenplannen" on the left hand side for a map showing the countries covered.
- Thorsten Büker's Benelux Map. Although this remains on-line, the Büker maps are no longer being maintained. Last updated March 2018.
Ticketing
Since 29 February 2020, all public transport in Luxembourg has been free of charge to use at all times. This includes CFL trains in second class. The CFL Tickets web page gives details of all remaining ticket types, which are domestic First Class tickets, and international tickets including the Saar-Lor-Lux and Rheinland-Pfalz plus Luxembourg rover tickets.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure Authority
The Administration des Chemins de Fer (ACF) is the national authority for the railways and tramways.
Network Statement
Documents de Référence du Réseau (DDR) > Network Statement DRR 2022 (english version) onwards
Gauge
Standard
Electrification
All CFL passenger routes are electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz as defined in The Railway Administration (ACF) 2020 Network Statement.
The Luxtram tramway system operates at 750 V dc.
Rule of the road
Right (except for the Sterpenich - Luxembourg section which is used by SNCB and has left hand running).
Distances
Detailed distances for each line are given in the Network Statement Appendix 2A: The Luxembourg Rail Network
Other Railways
None.
Tourist Lines
- L'Association des Musee et Tourisme Ferroviaires (AMTF) (Train 1900) (standard gauge, 8 km length): Pétange (close to CFL station) to Bois de Rodange with reversal at Fond de Gras. A connection with the CFL network at Pétange sees occasional through excursion trains.
- Minièresbunn Doihl asbl (MBD) (700 mm gauge): a preserved mining line, from Fond de Gras via Doihl and through a 1400 m long tunnel to Lasauvage. Thence are two branches: to Saulnes [France] and to Lasauvage Eglise. Part (including the tunnel) is electrified at 500 V dc while other sections are worked by steam or diesel.
- Musée National de Mines de Fer (700 mm gauge 4.2 km circuit): a preserved mining line at Rumelange.
- Ardoisière Haut-Martelange (narrow gauge, less than 1 km length); a tourist line next to the national slate museum at Martelange Haut. Trains normally run half hourly in the afternoon of the first Sunday of the month in summer [from May to October].
Metro
None
Trams/LRT Systems
Luxtram - see Luxtram (in French or German) or Wikimonde (in French) websites.
A track plan for the Luxembourg Luxtram system is available on the Gleisplanweb site, and was current at February 2022.
Planning has started on a new fast tram line between Luxembourg and Esch-sur-Alzette, with a planned opening date in 2028.
Recent and Future Changes
Recent (latest first) changes
The fourth section of the new Luxtram tram network, going south between Gare Central opened and Lycée technique de Bonnervie, opened to the public from midday 11 September 2022. Further extensions at both ends are under construction, with target completion dates of; end 2023 for the extensions south to the Cloche d'Or area and 2024 for the extension east to Findel airport.
A 4 metre section of the roof of the 236 metre single track Schieburg tunnel, on Line 10 north from Luxembourg to Gouvy and Leige, collapsed during maintenance work at the end of August 2022 closing it. It is now estimated investigation and repair will take some 3 months before any re-opening. Buses are operating (Troisvierges -) Clervaux - Kautenbach (- Ettelbruck).
CFL, officially inaugurated two new train platforms, four new platform tracks [#11-14], and a new footbridge, at Luxembourg Gare Central Station on 12 December 2021.
The third section of the new Luxtram tram network, also with catenary-free contactless running, going south between Stäreplaz and Gare Central opened on 13 December 2020.
All [Second Class] public transport in Luxembourg became free from 29 February 2020 in an effort to ease road congestion. Free [Second class] public transport for under 20s started on 1 August 2018.
The new parallel viaduct at Pulvermuhle (just north of Luxembourg), allowing Lines 10 and 30 to be split, and the associated double tracking of the line through to Sandweiler-Contern were inaugurated on 11 June 2019.
A new cross border service, routed via Trier West, was planned at the end of 2019 as part of a Luxembourg - Wasserbillig - Wittlich service on Line 30. However, works to upgrade stations of the Trierer Weststrecke, and provide new ones, have been heavily delayed so the earliest regular passenger service will start is now 2023. An improved service started running on Line 30 in December 2019, but it is routed via Trier Hbf at present.
The second section, of the new Luxtram tram network, with catenary-free contactless running, west from Rout Bréck–Pafendall to Stäreplaz/Place de l'Etoile–Pafendall opened on 27 July 2018.
Conversion of line 5, Luxembourg – Kleinbettingen - frontier, from 3 kV DC to 25 kV 50 Hz ac : was completed in autumn 2018.
On 10 December 2017 new stations opened at Howald (on the Bettembourg line) and at Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg (on the Wasserbillig line, affording connection by funicular with the new tram line (see above)).
From 20 July 2017 the CFL Luxembourg rail network was equipped with the ETCS level 1 European train control system, See CFL ETCS Level 1.
The first section of the new Luxtram tram network opened through Kirchberg on 10 December 2017 between Luxexpo and Rout Bréck–Pafendall (where there is a funicular link to the CFL Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg station).
From 4 April 2016 the service from Thionville to Longwy over the Bettembourg avoiding line was withdrawn.
From 17 February 2016 Rodange - Athus [BE] [ - Virton] was reduced to a skeleton service because the introduction of different signalling systems meant there was no suitable CFL rolling stock available; the service was withdrawn completely from 20 June 2016 but resumed from 11 December 2016.
Double tracking of the line from Hollerich to Petange completed in December 2012.
The extension of the line across the border from Dudelange to Volmerange-les-Mines in France opened to public traffic on 15 December 2003.
Future changes
Work is under way (at December 2021) on the following projects:-
- Gare Centrale is undergoing a long-term rebuilding programme to increase capacity, started in 2006, including adding two extra platforms and four new tracks. One new track [#11] was opened at the December 2019 timetable change and the remaining 3 [#12, 13 & 14] opened on 12 December 2021. Further work, remodeling the southern approaches, will take place in 2022, with project completion 2024-5.
- As part of an Intermodal hub, an additional platform and two further through tracks are to be added at Ettelbruck station. This will also allow Diekirch branch trains to proceed as far as Ettelbruck to wait for trains off the branch there. Completion scheduled for June 2022.
- new line to be built from Howald to Bettembourg. The first phase, covering construction of the new line and temporary connections to the existing line at Howald and Bettembourg, was finally approved in February 2016. Planned for completion in 2024.
- two new 'peripherique' stations to be constructed at Dommeldange and Cessange.
Planning started in 2020 on a new fast tram line between Luxembourg and Esch-sur-Alzette, with a planned opening date in 2028.
A proposal for SuperBus feeder routes in France could threaten the outer end of Line 60c; Esch-sur-Alzette - Audun le Tiche with closure in 2028.
Other plans (see on-line brochure (in French) issued in 2007), with no target date, include:
- double tracking of the line from Rodange to Longwy
- new line from Belval Universite (formerly Belval-Usines) to Belval Mairie
- new tunnel between Belval to Oberkorn
- new line from Hamm (west curve) and Sandweiler (east curve) to Findel Airport and Kirchberg Expo
- modernisation of the Dommeldange to Ettelbruck line
- double tracking and a new platform to be built at Michelau
- Bettembourg - Thionville to be quadrupled
Special Notes
CFL provides the only passenger service to Audun-le-Tiche and Volmerange les Mines (France).