Thirty-One Point Four Million

Last year, 31.4 million passengers rode CFL trains. A new record, up 0.6% from the year before, and more than double what the national railway carried two decades ago.[1]

The numbers sound like a success story, and in many ways they are. CEO Marc Wengler presented the results at a press conference on Monday: turnover up to 1.3 billion euros, profit at 35.3 million, infrastructure investment exceeding 327 million euros. Customer satisfaction rose to 3.84 out of 5 in CFL's quality barometer, which surveyed nearly 7'000 people. New waiting rooms, digital information displays, larger trains, and expanded station retail options all contributed.[2]

But underneath the record figures, the network is straining.

Wengler himself acknowledged that capacity limits have been reached on some lines during peak hours. Punctuality fell from 90.8% to 89.6%, partly because of strikes in neighbouring countries and partly because of ongoing construction at Howald and around Luxembourg City station. Cyclists have complained about a lack of bike space on trains, particularly during rush hours. CFL promised more room in new carriages and additional bike boxes at stations, but for now the squeeze is real.[3]

The biggest bet is a new railway line between Luxembourg City and Bettembourg, expected to enter service in autumn 2027. When it opens, it will double capacity on one of the country's most overloaded routes, allowing trains carrying around 1'000 passengers each. But getting there means more disruption. Wengler confirmed there will be major closures on the line in summer 2027, calling it the "final push" after more than a decade of construction. CFL framed this as an acceptable trade-off, and for a project of that scale, they may be right. But passengers living through the closures may feel differently.[4]

There was also a changing of the guard. Jean-Paul Lickes will become the new chairman of CFL's board of directors, taking over from Jeannot Waringo, who is stepping down after more than four decades on the board. Lickes described the role as a major responsibility and thanked Waringo for the solid foundations laid over the years.[5]

Luxembourg has made public transport free since 2020, a policy that is easy to celebrate and harder to manage. More passengers mean more wear, more crowding, and more pressure on infrastructure that was not designed for this volume. The 31.4 million figure is a milestone, but it is also a signal: the system is working well enough that people want to use it, and working close enough to its limits that something has to give.

The new Bettembourg line is the most obvious answer. Until it opens, the question is whether the patience of 31.4 million annual passengers will last long enough for the promise to be kept.