New tram section to head underground from 2032

The Luxembourg City municipal council, along with Luxtram and the Ministry of Mobility, unveiled the latest expansion plans for the capital's tram network on Friday.

The new section will run between Place de l'Étoile and the city's central hospital campus, the CHL, connecting the hospital to the district around the capital's new stadium. The extension will stop at four stations over a 2.2km track, 550 metres of which will run underground, beneath the Route d'Arlon.

"I'm convinced this will be a great update for the Route d'Arlon," said minister Yuriko Backes.

The busy road out of the capital will remain open to regular traffic throughout, and will also incorporate a new cycle path, separate from vehicle traffic. The project is expected to cost around 140 million euros.

According to Luxtram forecasts, the new section could be up and running by 2032, around three years earlier than originally estimated.

As for the main network, Luxtram said test trams would begin to run between Kirchberg and Findel from 10 December this year, before the official opening of this new section in March 2025.

Future expansion

The new tram route to the airport will add two new stations to the network, with Héienhaff P+R and Findel Luxembourg Airport. "People only have to walk 60-70 metres from the platform to the airport," explains Helge Dorstewitz.

Another expansion will cover a route between Kirchberg and Hollerich, as unanimously voted on by MPs in early 2024. Work on this section will start next year

In Kirchberg, the tram will run to the Pfaffenthal interchange via Boulevard Konrad Adenauer to the European School from 2027, before continuing to the new district of Nei Hollerech.

A second north-south axis will be created between Place de l'Étoile and the Cloche d'Or in order to better distribute passengers around the network, expected to begin in 2030/31.

The fast tram route to Esch-sur-Alzette remains on schedule, with the Leudelange section likely to be completed by 2028, followed by Foetz in 2030, Metzerschmeltz in 2032 and Belval in 2035.

There will also be a new tram shed constructed in Cloche d'Or by 2029/2030.

Currently, around 100,000 passengers take the tram every day. This number peaked at 120,000 during the Schueberfouer period this summer, Backes added. By 2035, the tram network is expected to carry around 300,000 passengers daily.

For more information, check out the National Plan of Mobility 2035.