Public transport use has risen sharply in Luxembourg in recent years, with 31.4 million train journeys and 35.2 million tram journeys recorded in 2025. Luxembourg central railway station alone sees around 80,000 passenger movements each day.
Against this backdrop, the government and representatives from across the public transport sector met on Tuesday to review safety on the country's buses, trains, and trams.
The number of reported incidents rose by 5.8% in one year to 3,461 in 2025. These included verbal and physical assaults, as well as other inappropriate behaviour towards staff and fellow passengers.
The government stressed that the increase was partly due to incidents being reported more consistently. Mylène Bianchi, president of the Syprolux railway union, agreed but warned that "aggression towards staff is increasing".
This included insults, physical assaults, and, increasingly, sexual harassment, she said. The number of incidents targeting staff rose by 32% between 2024 and 2025, according to Bianchi.
Paul Glouchitski of the Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (LCGB), however, argued that the increase in reports was simply the result of more incidents occurring. He noted that almost 8% more incidents were recorded in the first half of 2026 than during the same period in 2025. At the same time, assaults against staff fell slightly, by 1.16%, he said.
To improve safety, an increasing number of buses are being fitted with secure driver cabins. Almost half of all buses operating on the RGTR network now have such cabins, compared with 82% of CFL buses.
Glouchitski said buses fitted with secure cabins should be prioritised on routes where incidents occur more frequently. Security staff should also be deployed on those routes at certain times, he added.
Security staff are already present on trams and trains. Their presence on the tram network was recently increased to two teams. Bianchi argued. however, that security staff alone were not enough and called for a specialised police unit dedicated to public transport.
The government is currently working on new legislation covering safety, video surveillance, and penalties on public transport. Fines for inappropriate behaviour could be increased in future.
The authorities are also examining whether body cameras would be useful for public transport employees. Syprolux believes they could act as a deterrent and, unlike the cameras currently installed on trains and buses, would also be able to record sound. The LCGB also considers body cameras a possible part of the solution.
The public transport safety steering committee met on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Mobility Minister Yuriko Backes. Participants included the Public Transport Administration, national railway company CFL, Luxembourg City, Esch-sur-Alzette bus network TICE, the Syndicate of Luxembourg Cities and Municipalities (Syvicol), trade unions, the police, and Luxtram.
