In a press release published on 26 January, the CFL is announcing a new year marked by numerous line closures. As in 2025, the work will mainly be carried out during school holidays and at weekends, in order to limit the impact on passenger numbers.
Several periods of blockades are already planned. During the Carnival holiday, from 14 to 22 February inclusive, no trains will run between Luxembourg and Arlon or between Luxembourg and Bettembourg. During the Easter holidays, from 28 March to 12 April inclusive, large sections of the network will be affected, particularly between Luxembourg and Arlon, Luxembourg and Ettelbruck or Diekirch, as well as between Bettembourg and Esch-sur-Alzette.
The summer will be the period with the biggest impact for users. Between mid-July and the end of August, several major routes will be interrupted, including Luxembourg-Bettembourg, Luxembourg-Thionville, Luxembourg-Esch-sur-Alzette and Ettelbruck-Troisvierges. Other closures are planned for the autumn, notably during the All Saints’ holiday, with interruptions between Luxembourg and Bertrange-Strassen, Athus or Ettelbruck.
For each period of works, CFL will provide replacement buses and invites passengers to consult the annual works calendar available on cfl.lu and on the CFL mobile application.
Boring but necessary work
These closures are part of a vast programme to modernise the rail infrastructure. By 2026, almost 30 kilometres of track will have been renewed across the entire network, along with the laying of more than 50,000 sleepers and around 50,000 tonnes of ballast. The work will involve, in particular, the Luxembourg-Ettelbruck-Troisvierges-Gouvy, Luxembourg-Wasserbillig-Trier, Luxembourg-Arlon and Luxembourg-Rodange lines.
Works will also continue on the new Luxembourg-Bettembourg line, a strategic project designed to relieve traffic on one of the country’s busiest stretches. The tracks, catenaries and signalling equipment are due to be laid in 2026, before service is announced for September 2027.
Alongside the line works, several station projects will also have an impact on the daily lives of users. The Howald interchange will be completed in 2026, with the provision of four tracks between Howald and Luxembourg stations for links to Esch-sur-Alzette and Thionville. At Bettembourg, major works are planned in and around the station, including the construction of structures to improve the flow of rail traffic.
CFL will also be continuing its programme to remove level crossings, notably at Dommeldange, Milbech and Colmar-Usines, as well as developing park-and-ride facilities (P+R) near stations and stops to facilitate access to the train during and after periods of work.
