A first budget law to finance the new rapid tram is expected by December 2022. This will link Esch-sur-Alzette and later Belvaux to Luxembourg City. The ambitious new project was presented by the Minister for Mobility François Bausch in two online meetings attended by some 550 people, including 100 cross-border commuters.
A new residential quarter called "Alzette" will be developed on the old Arbed industrial site and should be finished by 2028, at which point the new tram link should also be completed. This will come in handy as around 10,000 people are expected to live in the area.
The rapid tram will be running alongside the A4 motorway to Esch. Its top speed will reach 100kph and it is expected to transport passengers via Esch and the Belval site to Belvaux. The main goal is to build a strong transport link between the urban centres of Luxembourg City and Esch. The tram will be an important part of that puzzle.
Video report in Luxembourgish:
With the development of the rapid tram link between Luxembourg City and Esch, the rail line between Esch and Audun-le-Tiche, which has been running since 1996, will be scrapped and replaced by a bus service. For Georges Merenz, president of the Landesverband rail workers union, this is a shocking decision. As a railwayman, he cannot understand how rail lines in Luxembourg could be abolished, especially on a fairly busy line such as this.
"Reading the numbers provided by the ministry, they claim 12 passengers per hour or train. But I looked at the actual numbers this morning, a normal workday in February had 808 passengers. During early morning rush hour around 7am, you can have up to 100 people going into Luxembourg City. I know from my experience as a train driver that most of the people on this train get off in Esch and continue to Luxembourg. These are commuters who would then be forced to take a bus to the station and change. The risk is that these people will switch back to driving."
The Landesverband has a meeting scheduled with the Minister for Mobility in two weeks. There is a serious need for discussion, according to Georges Merenz.
