photo: Alstom press materials/The first automated train in Europe runs on Luxembourg tracks. Alstom and CFL are moving regional transport.
Alstom is working with CFL, Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (Luxembourg National Railways), to introduce automation to Luxembourg's regional train fleet to help manage growing passenger numbers and increase capacity.
In summer 2018, Luxembourg announced its plan to invest up to EUR 4 billion in rail infrastructure improvements. With an annual population growth rate of about 1.6-2%, about 200,000 cross-border workers arrive in Luxembourg each year, putting a significant strain on the rail system. The Luxembourg National Railways reports that more than half of the delays in rail traffic are caused by infrastructure congestion and another 37% by the spillover effect across the rail network. To solve the problem, the country decided to add new, more direct lines (e.g., between Luxembourg City and Bettemroog) and double the tracks between the main station and Saweiler-Contern, which connects the country to the nearby German city of Trier.
To improve public transportation, in 2018, CFL struck a deal with Alstom to buy 34 high-performance Coradia double-decker regional trains worth EUR 360 million, allowing the trains to run not only domestically, but also in France and Belgium.
According to CFL, their goals are to make public transport more attractive, increase capacity and punctuality, and increase the quality and reliability of services offered.
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