Credit: Ian Sanderson
On Friday, the funicular railway linking Pfaffenthal and Kircherg was paid a special visit by Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, together with François Bausch, Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Lydie Polfer, Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, and Sam Tanson, Alderman at the City of Luxembourg.
The funicular is a key element of the "Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg" intermodal exchange, linking the Luxembourg rail network, the future tram, buses and soft mobility. Located near the Red Bridge, the new funicular will allow travelers to easily move between the Pfaffenthal-Kirchberg railway stop at the bottom of the Red Bridge and the Kirchberg trade hub.
Since construction began in May 2015, the construction of the new railway stop has continued well and is expected to be completed on time and within budget. The exchange centre will be opened on 10 December, together with the first section of the Kirchberg tramway and the new Howald suburban train station.
The funicular will be accessible to all users of public transport and soft mobility, and this without the need for an additional additional ticket. Adapted to the needs of people with reduced mobility, access to the cabins of the funicular will be facilitated for wheelchair users. Passengers wishing to board a pram or bicycle will also be welcome.
The objective is to serve this route at the rate of six trains per hour and per direction, with each journey taking 63 seconds up/down the 200m track. That would mea that 7,200 people can be transported per hour, as each of the 4 cabins can accommodate 168 passengers.
In the long term, it is planned to transport passengers coming from the south, directly by train, to this new Pfaffenthal train station, after earlier stopping at Luxembourg-gare. Passengers traveling to the Kirchberg from the north of the country will now be able to get off the train a few kilometers before Luxembourg-gare, in the immediate vicinity of their destination. This will save considerable time for commuters.
