Luxembourg is the only country in the world to offer totally free public transport. What concrete discussions are you having with Belgium, France and Germany to extend a coordinated form of pricing or create a cross-border pass? What are the main obstacles?

Yuriko Backes. - With regard to the pricing of national and cross-border services, it is important to remember that each country has its own organisation, priorities and constraints, which must be taken into account and respected when working together. Finding agreements between the various parties is based on trust and partnership in the knowledge that it is not always easy to find agreements between parties.

In Luxembourg, the ministry of mobility and public works is responsible for the pricing to be applied on trains operating under a public service contract, whereas in France, for example, this task falls to the regions. Within existing cross-border and transnational coordination groups, regular discussions take place to strengthen and optimise public transport provision on both sides of borders.

Cross-border subscriptions were modified when free public transport was introduced in Luxembourg in 2020. Some season tickets allow free use of car parks near foreign stations, such as Arlon station. It should also be remembered that there is no possibility of intervening when it comes to fares for commercially-operated trains, such as the TGV. In Luxembourg, we are proud of the fact that our trains are free of charge and we are following with interest any initiatives along these lines, particularly in neighbouring countries.

Several high-speed link projects - Brussels-Luxembourg, Saarbrücken-Luxembourg - are making slow progress. Can you tell us what stage bilateral discussions have reached? Beyond the project to Saarbrücken, is there a desire to open up a more direct connection to other economic and rail hubs in Germany?

“As far as cross-border and international rail links are concerned, we are in constant contact with these three neighbouring countries. Considerable efforts are underway to approve modern rolling stock on the Brussels-Luxembourg route, with no load disruption at Arlon station. The capacity of Luxembourg station has been increased and the western end of this station will be improved, allowing, among other things, the arrival of longer trains from Brussels.

On the Belgian side, work is continuing: progress has enabled the changeover of the power supply beyond Libramont to be switched over, enabling this station to be served by single-voltage equipment from Luxembourg station. Once the work between Ottignies and Namur, on the one hand, and between Namur and Arlon, on the other, has been completed, it will be possible to reduce the journey time for trains on this route and reintroduce faster trains with fewer intermediate stops between Arlon and Brussels. It is in this context of strengthening rail cooperation that on 29 September I signed a letter of intent with my federal counterpart, Jean-Luc Crucke, on optimising Belgian-Luxembourg relations in the field of rail infrastructure.

With Germany, we are currently working on improving connections to several major German cities. Just this week, I had talks at federal level with my German counterpart, Patrick Schnieder, on this subject. In addition, with our counterparts in the Saarland, among others, a feasibility study is being finalised for a direct rail link from Luxembourg, via Saarbrücken, to Mannheim. In addition, an improved connection to Cologne is also being considered, which would run via the Eifel line (Eifelstrecke) and provide a parallel alternative to the Moselstrecke via Koblenz. This option is being discussed with our counterparts in Rhineland-Palatinate.

The key remains to ensure efficient integration with the German long-distance network, which is already the case thanks to Trier station, and in the future, preferably also via Saarbrücken and Mannheim stations. Improving journey times is and always will be an objective to be achieved.

In any case, the ministry maintains close relations with its neighbouring counterparts with a view to improving cross-border mobility for the people of Luxembourg and cross-border workers. My meeting with my German counterpart on 19 November last provided an opportunity to discuss a number of issues along these lines. The same applies to our Belgian partners, with the signing on 29 September of a letter of intent on strengthening cooperation between our two countries with the firm intention of placing rail at the heart of sustainable multimodal mobility, increasing the number of customers, the volume of goods and reducing journey times.

With France, we are continuing to work on the Paris convention, while carrying out additional studies to define the cross-border projects needed to meet the challenge of tomorrow’s mobility. In mid-December the next meeting of the Franco-Luxembourg intergovernmental commission will be held, and the topic of cross-border mobility is expected to feature on the agenda.

The European high-speed rail plan to 2040 does not include Luxembourg in the main corridors. How do you explain this exclusion of a central member state?

“This is a European Commission document for which the member states were not consulted and which aims to accelerate the deployment of the European high-speed rail network across Europe with horizons up to 2040. A distinction should be made between high-speed lines (>200km/h) and improved lines (160km/h).

There is no reason to speak of exclusion: Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, and the City of Luxembourg is one of the three European capitals. Luxembourg has taken note of this publication and will continue to work with neighbouring countries to be able to offer the best possible links to the high-speed network. There are currently no plans for a high-speed line to pass through Luxembourg, as the potential for this type of service is not sufficient for the rail companies offering these services on a commercial basis to be interested. We currently have direct TGVs departing at conventional speed to Paris, Strasbourg and the south of France.

Luxembourg will remain connected via existing improved lines to neighbouring countries. The new Luxembourg-Bettembourg line, currently under construction, will thus allow a speed of 160km/h. The current link to Pagny-sur-Moselle, in order to reach the East European high-speed line there, is existing and the ministry will make representations to the commission to ensure that the link to the French capital is duly included on their maps.

As already mentioned, there is of course also the TGV link (partly running at high speed) to Strasbourg and the south of France, but the map published by the Commission only includes the European capitals.

The EU plans to strengthen the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) by 2040. Have you identified any Luxembourg priorities that could be included in the next round of European funding?

“We are following the discussions closely and are actively involved in them to ensure that our interests are taken into account. We immediately began thinking about adapting the trans-European rail network in application of Regulation (EU) 1679/2024. Given that the first deadline imposed in this regulation has already been set at 2030, work must be started before the launch of the next CEF III co-financing programme, which will begin in 2028. Luxembourg’s priorities include increasing capacity at certain points on the network to offer a sufficient number of train paths, and adapting the network to the needs of 740-metre-long trains. CFL, as rail infrastructure manager, is working on these points and together we are maintaining a constructive working dynamic so that we can realistically and appropriately position the country on the European rail scene.

At a time when several European operators are relaunching international night trains, has Luxembourg received or studied any proposals for stops or connections on its territory? If so, which operators or destinations are concerned?

“As a reminder, a Member State cannot intervene in matters of fares to be applied to trains operated on a commercial basis. We are of course keeping a close eye on the night train services that are being set up in neighbouring countries in order to assess the realistic possibilities for connecting trains to a night train that would pass through Metz, for example. At present, the Luxembourg market alone does not have enough potential for a night train so, to date, no operator has taken any steps in this direction.

How could Luxembourg become a European rail hub rather than just a regional terminus?

“Luxembourg is at the heart of Europe, remains a trusted political player and maintains its economic attractiveness that goes far beyond the European arena. We are actively pursuing our role in the construction of Europe and, in this specific case, in the strengthening of rail potential, with substantial investments, in close coordination with our neighbours.”