How the repair of German rails will affect Luxembourg: official response from the Ministry of Transport

Luxembourg's Minister of Mobility and Public Works, Yuriko Backes, has responded to a parliamentary enquiry by MP Meris Sehovic about the consequences of a massive plan to modernise Germany's rail infrastructure by 2030. The answer is unequivocal: there will be consequences for both passengers and freight traffic.

The German reconstruction plan covers the most important areas near Luxembourg:

• Right bank of the Rhine (Troisdorf-Koblenz): works from July to December 2026. Some traffic is expected to be diverted to the left bank, causing congestion there as well.
• Left bank of the Rhine (Mainz-Koblenz-Bonn-Cologne): the renovation is scheduled for February-July 2028 and will affect interchanges in Koblenz in both directions.
• Eifel line (Trier-Herolstein-Cologne): its electrification has been postponed until the end of 2028. Once the work is completed, a direct Luxembourg-Cologne connection is possible.

During the renovation, bus replacement transport will be organised on the Mainz-Koblenz section. This means longer journey times and probably less convenience for passengers, especially for international journeys via Koblenz.

CFL Fret, the freight division of Luxembourg Railways, is already preparing for the consequences. Flight cancellations and forced detours not only mean higher delivery costs, but also the possible loss of customers due to a drop in logistics reliability. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Luxembourg's railway network does not allow for simple rerouting of freight traffic along another route - there are no alternative routes physically available.

In order to minimise inconvenience for passengers and free up resources (buses, drivers), the Luxembourg network tries to carry out its own works in synchronisation with the German network - and mostly during school holidays. This helps to consolidate repair areas and reduce the total time of disruption to the network.

Coordination between Luxembourg and Germany is recognised as a key prerequisite for keeping the cross-border railway system operational. Without it, neither passenger nor freight transport will be able to ensure stable connections in years of major infrastructure works.