Minister for Mobility François Bausch and his Belgian counterpart Georges Gilkinet formalised the commitment by signing a letter of intent on Tuesday.
The primary objective is to reduce the travel time between Luxembourg City’s central railway station and Brussels to two hours by the year 2030. Currently, the journey takes approximately three hours by train, whereas it takes around 2 hours by car.
In addition, the plan aims to double both passenger and cargo traffic on the route by 2040.
To achieve these goals, a series of strategic actions have been outlined. These include significant infrastructure expansion and modernisation, particularly along the Gembloux-Luxembourg and Brussels-Ottignies stretches. Both countries will submit a request for partial funding of the project to the EU.
On Luxembourg’s territory, examinations will be conducted to identify potential level crossing removals. The plans also include the construction of a multimodal stop in Hollerich. This development is expected to streamline passenger journeys, eliminating the need for travellers to traverse the central station to access the city centre or Kirchberg.
