The Luxembourg Parliament has approved the extension of the tram line to the municipality of Strassen

The Luxembourg Parliament has officially approved a bill to extend the capital’s tram network from Place de l’Étoile to the Luxembourg Hospital Centre (CHL). The project involves the creation of two new stops: one in the immediate vicinity of the maternity ward, and the other in the municipality of Strassen, on the site of the former Batiself car park. Corinne Cahen, the rapporteur for the bill, clarified that the route will run at ground level along Route d’Arlon, and after Rue des Foyers the tracks will be laid in a tunnel.

The first test runs on the new line are scheduled for 2032, with full passenger services expected to commence a year later. The line will subsequently be extended towards the Merl district. Meanwhile, business owners on Rue Federspiel, which separates Luxembourg City from the municipality of Strassen (Strassen), have faced the early termination of their tenancy agreements, which are due to expire at the end of this year. It is noteworthy that actual construction work on the site, covering an area of around four hectares, will not begin until 2029 at the earliest; however, the private owner of the land, the Belgian company Boomerang, has already begun evicting tenants.

As a result of these decisions, the furniture retailer Roller is withdrawing completely from the Luxembourg market. Other business owners, such as Steve Sanna, owner of the Salon Figaro hairdressing salon, are being forced to find new premises in the neighbourhood, thereby losing their customer and staff car parks for good. Over the course of eight years in business, Sanna has invested €250,000 in his business and employed six staff members. The state does not provide compensation to companies finding themselves in this situation, despite the financial losses caused by a loss of customers following news of business closures. 

Furthermore, there remains uncertainty regarding the timetable for the state’s purchase of the land. Nico Pundel, mayor of the municipality of Strassen, notes that the exact timetable for the project’s implementation is still unknown, as revising the master plan and detailed development plans for the area will take a considerable amount of time.