Time goes by, and so do the politicians, but the tension continues to grow on the Nancy-Metz-Luxembourg line. This is a real artery that irrigates the Luxembourg economy with 11,000 to 15,000 people every day, but it’s in such poor health that those who do not take the train to Luxembourg prefer to spend an hour and a half to two hours on the A31 twice a day to fulfil their professional obligations. The new Luxembourg government group dealing with the thorny issue of absenteeism should take this into account in its deliberations, as should the impact of teleworking as a way of relieving the pressure at least once a week. Forget the overcrowded, overheated livestock trucks, which have long since stopped complying with safety regulations, and no one is bothered: at certain times in the morning and evening, there are far more passengers on these TERs than the regulations allow...
At a time when some people are dreaming aloud of the CFL taking over the Grand Est Region’s market from France’s SNCF, it’s not that simple. Second instalment of the ins and outs.
Obstacles and reticence: the social and political perspective
The obstacles to these prospects are not just technical or legal--they are also human and political. On the French side, the railway unions (CGT, UNSA, etc.) are firmly opposed to opening up to competition, which they see as a threat to working conditions and railway jobs. “At the CGT, we will always be against opening up to competition, because it always leads to the same thing: social dumping,” insists Jean Riconneau, the CGT-Cheminots secretary in the Moselle. In his view, changing operator would solve nothing in substance. “If tomorrow the region awards this line to someone else, they will have the same equipment, the same tracks, the same staff…”
Indeed, a takeover by the CFL would probably mean recruiting existing SNCF staff via a French subsidiary of the CFL or a consortium, which raises the question of their status. Ironically, the CGT is already accusing the CFL of “poaching our railwaymen” in Lorraine--a sign that Luxembourg salaries and benefits are attracting some French drivers. An ill-prepared transition could lead to industrial unrest, unless guarantees are negotiated that staff will be taken back on the same terms.
Politically, the Grand Est Region is moving forward cautiously. Its new president Franck Leroy (elected at the end of 2022) says he wants to “put passengers at the heart” of the TER service and “change the rules of the game" in favour of quality. In fact, the 2024-2033 contract signed with the SNCF includes a system of tenfold penalties for failure to comply, to encourage the operator to improve its performance.
The region is itself investing heavily (€1.2bn planned between now and 2033 for TERs, including €1bn in new or renovated rolling stock) and only envisages opening up the service in clearly defined “geographical lots.” It is possible that the Nancy-Luxembourg service will be one of the lots put out to tender before 2033, but nothing has been launched in this direction as of mid-2025. Leroy stressed the importance of the cross-border services express régionaux métropolitains (SERM), but did not publicly comment on a transfer of operations to the CFL.
On the Luxembourg side, mobility minister 
Future prospects
To sum up, no official decision has yet been taken as to whether the CFL will take over the Nancy-Luxembourg route, but the debate remains open and is fuelled by the line’s persistent underperformance. The last six months have not seen any earth-shattering announcements: the start of 2025 has mainly been marked by the implementation of the new SNCF contract, very heavy summer work (with closure of the Luxembourg-Bettembourg line from 11 July to 14 September 2025), and continued deliveries of renovated equipment.
However, behind the scenes, the CFL hypothesis remains present. In the short term (2025-2027), an upheaval in operations is unlikely, with efforts focusing first on technical solutions (track doubling, new trains, reinforced maintenance) to improve service within the SNCF framework.
In the medium term (2028-2033), with the completion of the infrastructure and the evaluation of the performance of the SNCF contract, the region could attempt an innovative cross-border call for tenders. The CFL, on the strength of its binational experience, would then be well placed to win the bid--possibly via a dedicated subsidiary in France, as other foreign operators have done (for example, DB via Arriva or Transdev on other TER networks). The European Union is also encouraging this type of coordinated cross-border approach, in the name of improving the service for European citizens.
Would such a development bring real benefits for passengers? Opinions differ. Above all, users are hoping for more frequent, more reliable and better-capacity trains, regardless of the operator, as long as it meets its commitments. The CFL enjoys a fairly positive image (high punctuality on its national network, bilingual staff, free travel in Luxembourg)--but it is not without its critics (switch breakdowns, poor passenger information). The SNCF, for its part, invokes its knowledge of the Lorraine region and promises to rectify the situation thanks to the measures in the new contract (reserve of additional trains, financial penalties for delays, etc.).
Above all, it insists on the need to finalise current investments: in its opinion, it is the addition of capacity (track and trains) that will make the line more reliable, rather than a change of logo on the trains. The big challenge will therefore be to see, over the next two to three years, whether the indicators improve significantly. If not, the political pressure for a “plan B” could grow. Luxembourg, having invested heavily without having control over operations, could be tempted to push for its national operator to intervene directly.
The takeover of the Nancy-Luxembourg route by the CFL is a possibility that has been mooted for a long time, as part of the trend towards opening up European rail, but it comes up against significant legal and social barriers. For the time being, the option chosen is that of closer SNCF-CFL cooperation rather than pure and simple substitution. The next few months/years will be decisive: the success of SERM Lorraine-Luxembourg and the fulfilment of SNCF’s commitments will determine whether or not the Grand Est Region chooses to “bring competition into play” on this emblematic cross-border service. All stakeholders--regional and national authorities, operators, unions and users--are therefore keeping their eyes riveted on the quality of service actually delivered on the Nancy-Luxembourg route, pending a decision on its future operation.
This article was originally published in French.
