Luxembourg - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

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Introduction

This list is based on the timetable year 10 December 2023 to 14 December 2024, unless otherwise stated. Standard abbreviations are explained here.

Map references for each route entry are given in parentheses ( ). References prefixed "ERA-E" refer to the European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "ERA-R" refer to the European Railway Atlas (Regional Series: Book 1) by M.G. Ball.

An additional map reference in italics for some entries refers to Eisenbahnatlas Frankreich Band 1: Nord by Schweers + Wall.

Obscure services

Luxembourg — Luxembourg Triage (yard) — Luxembourg Sud — Berchem Est — Syren — Oetrange

[30] (ERA-E 39B1,39B-C4; ERA-R 63B3; ) LU24/1

This route, which starts by running south from the east side of Luxembourg station through Luxembourg Triage (freight yard), provides an alternative route between Luxembourg station and the Trier line. It has been used by trains which did not stop at Cents Hamm or Sandweiler Contern and are given 2 – 4 minutes longer than usual. The route is common with LU24/1A as far as Berchem Nord junction. There are no services in the 2023/24 timetable.

Use of this route is now less likely as the normal exit route from Luxembourg station, shared with line 10, has been four tracked. In addition the single line section of Line 30 has also been double tracked through to Sandweiler Contern. Finally, recent engineering works which have closed the line through Cents Hamm have seen bus replacement rather than diversion via Oetrange.

Luxembourg — Luxembourg Triage (yard) — Luxembourg Sud — Berchem Nord – Berchem Sud — Berchem

[60] (ERA-E 39B1,39B-C4; ERA-R 63B3; ) LU24/1A

This is an alternative route to the main line between the east side of Luxembourg station and Berchem station, running through Luxembourg Triage and bypassing Howald station. Trains can rejoin the main line at either Luxembourg Sud (immediately south of Howald station, which cannot be accessed) or Berchem Sud.Use of the northern half of the route starts from the east side of Luxembourg station and uses double track goods lines on the east side of the freight yard, continuing to Luxembourg Sud where the main line is rejoined. The northern half of the route, and most of the southern part as far as Berchem Nord junction, are used by trains diverted via Oetrange. See LU24/1. The entire route to Berchem station may be used if this is operationally convenient, but is considered to be rare by a local correspondent who has only managed it once in several years.

Work has started on building an additional island platform at Howald. In preparation most of the tracks leading from the yard and the CRM have been ripped up such that only one single track, the one closest to the mainline, has been retained. With this reduction in capacity no regular passenger services are expected via this route in 2024. This work will continue through the duration of the timetable, probably beyond, and when it re-opens the layout will be different and will probably no longer be obscure. The plan is for L90 services to France to use the new platform with L60 services to Esch running as at present. It is not clear yet how L90 services will cross the current mainline to access the new line to Bettembourg (scheduled to open in 2028).

Luxembourg avoiding line: Bertrange-Strassen (Luxembourg Hollerich, km 1.4) — Luxembourg Sud (km 14.0) via Luxembourg Triage (yard)

(ERA-E 39B1; ERA-R 63C5) LU24/2

This line, which avoids Luxembourg City to the south, links the line from Belgium via Arlon with the line to France via Thionville. The compilers are not aware of any booked passenger services over this route at present, although plans exist for future services to serve a new station at Cessange.

Other Sparse services

60a Dudelange-Usines – Volmerange-les-Mines (F) No Sunday service
60b Noertzange – Rumelange Limited weekday peak-only service
60c Esch-sur-Alzette – Audun-le-Tiche (F) All day on weekdays; mornings and evenings only on Saturdays. No Sunday service.
70 Rodange – Longwy (F) Mornings, midday and early evenings on weekdays. Very limited early morning and early evening service on Saturdays. No Sunday service.

Deletions since last edition

LU23/3 Bettembourg avoiding line:

Hettange-Grande [France] (Bettembourg-M) — Noertzange (Bettembourg-W)

A few rush hour trains, between Luxembourg and Thionville, were diverted via this curve, when Line 90, between Luxembourg and Bettembourg, was completely closed in February 2018. No further diversions have been detected via this curve since then.

See also