Luxembourg’s strong position…

Transportation by rail plays a critical role in the economic and social development and is instrumental in sustainable development policy making. It is also a key factor in environmental preservation and in the improvement of the quality of life of citizens. The governmental programme of 2009 foresees concrete measures in order to transform the current rail network into tomorrow’s backbone of public transport in Luxembourg and the Greater Region.

In order to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Luxembourg and to increase overall comfort and safety for all travellers, the Government is developing infrastructures and reorganising public transportation with the objective of achieving a modal split of 25/75 for private motorised traffic versus public transport.

The ambition is to build a more environmentally friendly transportation network, i.e. a network that meets our current needs, while preserving our environment for future generations. This will be done by prioritising specific projects in the short and medium term.

The implementation of an investment programme on rolling stock, the improvement of cross-border connections, the addition of new international destinations made possible by connecting Luxembourg to the TGV network and the establishment of new bus lines all led to a significant increase in the number of passengers using public transport.

With regards to ‘rail infrastructure’, the Government reaffirmed its ambition to reach its modal share targets for balanced and sustainable transport modes, with particular focus on the shift from private motorised traffic to rail transport. Priority will be given to safety and quality improvement efforts in public transportation, as well as the expansion and modernisation of the railway network. Adequate financial support will be guaranteed in order to reach these objectives.

The Government is consolidating the concept of international railway connections to guarantee the connection of the Luxembourgish railway network to the major axis of the trans-European railway system.

Our national focus lies on carrying out of the second phase of the high-speed train TGV Est Européen connection between Baudrecourt and Strasbourg as well as on the improvement of the interconnection of the cities Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg through modernisation of the railway infrastructure and the EuroCap-Rail project.

Safety, passenger satisfaction and providing a secure and healthy workplace are key factors to the success of railways and railway operators. ‘Lorry-Rail’ and CFL Cargo as well as other intermodal transport solutions elaborated by CFL Multimodal help to develop, promote and market the new rail-road service from the fast growing logistic centre in Bettembourg.

The Luxemburgish Government is proactively promoting Luxembourg as an international hub for logistics in Europe and is easing the rules for the establishment of new business activities as well as continuously improving its regulatory and administrative framework. The business model of Luxembourg is to deliver quality efficient services in the shortest time possible, while adhering to all European and international safety and security standards.

I am proud to announce that Luxembourg is involved in the development and implementation of a fully interoperable trans- European railway network based on 20,000km of railway corridors defined by the European Commission. Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland signed an MoU to agree on the deployment of ERTMS on Corridor C – Antwerpen–Basel–Lyon.

Thus, being one of the best positioned corridors likely to merge with others, Luxembourg is strategically well positioned to organise its freight traffic.

While CFL Cargo is carrying out conventional rail freight, CFL Multimodal operates daily railway connections to the ports of the North Sea making Luxembourg a hinterland port of Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Hamburg.

The company offers a complete and professional service such as handling, transshipment, storage and loading of containers, customs clearance, security checks, and organisation of combined rail and road transports.

Lorry-Rail provides innovative solutions for multimodal transportation modes. The company operates a road/railway service for standard unaccompanied semi-trailers connecting Luxembourg to the South of France. This multimodal solution ensures the transportation of some 30,000 semi-trailers per year over a distance of more than 1,000km. New routes through Europe are planned and will enhance the Lorry-Rail transportation modus in the future considering the environmental benefits of further modal shift to rail transport.

Established at the junction of major North- South and East-West railway and motorway corridors, Luxembourg provides easy and uncongested access to the European consumer market considering that within a 800km radius two thirds of the EU’s GDP is reached.