© Maurice Fick / RTL
Luxembourg's tram network expands this Sunday with the inauguration of a new 3.7 km section connecting Luxexpo to Luxembourg Stadium, promising improved connectivity and increased passenger convenience.
From 12pm this Sunday, tram passengers can climb aboard the tram at the Luxexpo station in Kirchberg, in the north-east of the capital, and go all the way to the south-west of the city to the Luxembourg Stadium near Cloche d'Or. The new tram section D "introduces several new exciting changes for passengers", promises Helge Dorstewitz, the new director of Luxtram, who will officially take over the role on 7 July.
One of these new changes is the tram being connected to Cloche d'Or, the southern quarter of the City currently undergoing multiple transformations with several companies establishing new offices in the area, including PwC, Deloitte, Foyer, Alter Domus, and many more. The area also features the French high school Lycée Vauban and a 75,000sq m commercial centre.
© Maurice Fick / RTL
However, the main attraction of the new 3.7 km tram section with five new stations ('Scillas', 'Howald Gare', 'Lycée Vauban', 'Waassertuerm' et 'Stadion') lies in how it seamlessly allows passengers to connect to other modes of transport such as buses, trains, and bikes through two new interchange points, according to Dorstewitz.
Number of passengers to 'strongly increase'
At the Stadion stop, passengers can connect to the city's bus network, as well as the RGTR bus network and the Park&Ride opening next to the Luxembourg Stadium at the beginning of October. The interchange point Howald Gare is expected to become a large multi-modal centre for the south the country.
The current peripheral station will have "stairs and lifts at the different platforms that conveniently allow passengers to reach the Howald bridge, which is located near the tram station. Just 50m away is the new bus station, from where they can take a bus to the south of the country or directly to the city centre", summarises Dorstewitz
La toute nouvelle gare routière à "Howald Gare" au-dessus de la voie de chemin de fer et en connexion directe avec le tracé du tram. / © Maurice Fick / RTL
The new Luxtram director is convinced that many new passengers will benefit greatly from the tram and its bus and train connections. He continues: "Now it has become way easier to switch our mode of transport. Luxtram already transports 110,000 passengers per day and this number is expected to strongly increase."
To keep up with the frequency of trams on a longer line that now connects Luxexpo to the Luxembourg Stadium, "we had to hire fifteen additional drivers and had to train them alongside all the other drivers who will operate the new section. We also hired additional maintenance staff", explains Dorstewitz.
How is the last section to Findel progressing?
With the completion of section D, the tram has reached its final destination at least in the south of the capital, as announced in Octobre 2016 by the former transport minister François Bausch. The last remaining tram section is the 3.9-km-long section E, connecting the Kirchberg Plateau to Findel airport. This also connects the tram to one final mode of transport, the plane.
"We are in the process of finalising works on the bridge that crosses the A1 (Luxembourg–Trier) and laying the tracks on the rest of section E. We have already made steady progress", shares Dorstewitz. Without a doubt, Luxtram will open the last section of the 16km tram line "at the beginning of next year". An exact date will be announced soon but so far, the opening is scheduled for early 2025. The large Heienhaff parking lot "will not be completely operational at the time of the line's opening, but the bus station will be", he promises.
What about the fast tram line?
According to Dorstewitz, "we are starting to conduct environmental impact assessments and technical studies for the fast tram line's engineering structures.This Thursday morning, I had a meeting with consulting groups, and we are perfectly on schedule." The fast tram service between Cloche d'Or and Leudelange is set to be operational by 2028, as announced recently by Mobility Minister Yuricko Backes.
The opening of the new tram section will lead to a reorganisation of the RGTR bus network starting this Sunday, as the two new interchange points ('Howald' and 'Stadion') will provide numerous new connections between the tram and bus networks.
Also read:
Luxtram launches traffic tests on new tram section
Five new tram stations to be operational in July
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