Trams in Luxembourg

On 5 September 1964, the last tram ran in the city of Luxembourg from the district of Beggen. First introduced in 1875 in the form of horse-drawn carriages on rails, trams helped transport passengers to and from the central train station in the country’s capital to the north of the city. The construction was funded by the city and the company SATL, Société Anonyme du Tramway Luxembourgeois, was created to operate the trams.

The 10km long line was later electrified in 1908, 33 years after it first started, and all horse-drawn carriages were bought out and replaced by electric trams run by the newly founded TVL, Tramways de Ville de Luxembourg. The trams were to run at 550V and on the metre gauge, instead of the original standard gauge, in an effort to reduce costs. To avoid disruption during the switch-over from horse-drawn to electric trams the new line was built on an alternate route via the recently renovated Adolphe Bridge. In the months leading up to the first electric tram ride the carriages intended for the electric line were pulled by horses while the electricity was being installed according to Wim Kusee who has gone through great effort to document the trams. The first electric service began on 8 August 1908 on the newly built route. The existing line was then later electrified. The network continued to expand until the 1930s. However, trams gradually declined in popularity with the rise of personal vehicles and buses. Over time some lines were replaced by bus routes until the final tram ride in 1964, when all lines were taken apart.

Over the next few decades as the population increased so did congestion in Luxembourg’s capital. In a country that has always had more jobs than residents cross-border commuters travel to and from the city daily and without proper urban transportation, the car becomes the default choice for many. The Integrated Transport and Spatial Development Concept for Luxembourg report, or IVL for short, showed that cross-border commuters were not typically public transport users. In 2005 a working group, called Extension du réseau ferré dans la Ville de Luxembourg, was established to explore ways to use rail to alleviate the congestion. In their analysis, they took into account past attempts and created 8 possible scenarios which can be grouped into two main categories; a hybrid system and a conventional train system.

The eighth scenario, one that used a conventional train to transport passengers to the city and a tram network to move them around locally, was selected. This was chosen as it can easily integrate into the existing urban environment and supports high capacity. The process of deciding the exact route then began. The choice of trams was not immediately accepted by all and remained that way for the next few years as plans were made on the route and equipment. Tram.lu covers this aspect of history year by year with images from political advertisements and campaigns.

Between 2007 and 2014 there was a lot that happened, a route was decided on between the central railway station to the Luxexpo, plans for construction were stalled during a financial crisis and opponents of the tram demanded a referendum. However, in 2015 construction finally began of the tram maintenance centre with plans to start service in 2017. Work soon began on the 3.5km track between the Luxexpo and Kirchberg just short of the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge connecting Kirchberg to Limpertsberg.

Luxtram, the modern tram operator, selected CAF to provide the rolling stock after a tender in 2015 choosing them over other contenders like Alstom and Stadler. The trams would be of the, now popular, Urbos family, 45 metres long and 2650mm wide, with a capacity for 300 passengers¹. The first order of 21 trams began delivery in early 2017 and was extended in 2018 to an additional 12 trams, bringing the total to 33. The trams are equipped with GREENTECH, CAF’s energy storage system, which comprises of EVODRIVE and FREEDRIVE. EVODRIVE is a system that recovers braking energy based on ultracapacitors designed for trams. FREEDRIVE, based on EVODRIVE, also includes the capability for catenary-free running which would be important for Luxembourg.

The next section of the line from Kirchberg to Place de l’Étoile opened in July of 2018. This 8km extension was built to be catenary-free using the CAF’s FREEDRIVE ultracapacitors to power the trams. The choice was made to keep the historical part of the city free from overhead wires. In December 2020, the next section opened up extending the catenary-free line another 2km to the central train station.

An extension to the other end of the line at Luxexpo to the Findel Airport was expected to be complete by 2024. It is now 2024 and I had the opportunity to visit Luxembourg for a day in July and I saw this part of the extension is delayed. At the time, construction of the tram platforms at the airport was still in progress and they were definitely needed. The buses get clogged up by the car traffic as they leave the parking lot. The latest estimate puts the launch of this section of the line in March 2025, with tests starting as early as December 2024.

Plans for the current and future lines have changed over the years, Reddit user u/Leo-Bri summarises them in a post titled, Summary of the tram’s expansion plans and discussion about the decision of the city and ministry to switch up the priorities for the future tram extensions. At the moment, other than the airport extension, a number of plans were talked about at a press conference this September, including:

• A new line from Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg to Luxexpo through Boulevard Konrad Adenauer with construction planned to begin in 2025.
• A new line on Route d’Arlon from Place de l’Étoile including a 550 meter underground section near the Luxembourg Hospital Center, planned to be completed in 2032.
• Details on the fast tram connecting Luxembourg City to Esch-sur-Alzette. First to Leudelange in 2028, Foetz in 2030, Metzechemelz in 2032 and Esch-sur-Alzette, Belval and Belvaux in 2035.

There’s a lot in motion with the tram network in Luxembourg, it’ll be interesting to keep an eye on this going forward.