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Luxembourg to introduce free public transport

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Adlington

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Trains, trams and buses will run free of charge from summer 2019 in the whole country, which is about the size of Oxfordshire.
Luxembourg is to become the first country in the world to scrap fares on all public transport.

The plans, introduced by Prime Minister Xavier Bettel's coalition government, will see trains, trams and buses run free of charge from next summer.

Currently, fares are capped at €2 for anything up to two hours of travel, which covers most journeys in the 2,585 km² nation.

Part of the cost for the initiative will be footed by removing a tax break for commuters.
Euronews

The Independent raises two points: (a) some trains have 1st and 2nd class compartments - will the free travel be offered in both? (b) will homeless people move from the streets to the trains in winter in order to stay warm?
 
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Shaw S Hunter

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The question about homeless people is fair enough but a web search by the journalist might have been illuminating. In fact the only survey there, dating back to 2007(!), showed that while the total number of homeless people in the Grand Duchy was 715 only 30 of them were rough sleepers though with an additional 136 using a night shelter. Those numbers, old though they are, does not suggest a big problem as far as the "exploitation" of free travel goes. More of a concern would be regarding the level of on-board staffing to keep a check on behaviour.
 

Ken H

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Only time I have been on a train in Lux, it was Belgian. Was a through Brussels-Basel service I seem to remember. Will that be free too?
 

johnnychips

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The Brussels-Basel service has been withdrawn. The NMBS service from Brussels' last call is in Arlon, in Belgium. The service from Liege to Luxembourg used to be run by Luxembourg trains; not sure if it still is. I don't know about services to France.
 

Peter Mugridge

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Just a thought: I take it the free travel is for residents only, and not tourists as well...?
 

Bletchleyite

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Just a thought: I take it the free travel is for residents only, and not tourists as well...?

If they want the maximum savings by being able to do away with all revenue collection and protection facilities and staff, they might as well make it free for everyone. If they want money from tourists to help fund it, a tourist tax (as in Switzerland, where local public transport is normally free for tourists in the area of where their hotel is) is the best way.
 
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I like this plan. I wish the UK would do the same (i know that will never happen).

There is a lot of unanswered questions about this (some which have already been mentioned by others). I can't seem to find any more detailed documents or information regarding this.

1. Currently the standard CFL tickets (2.00EURO two hour ticket or 4.00EURO day ticket) include travel to and from three stations outside of Luxembourg:

Athus (Belgium)
Audun Le Tiche (France)
Volmerange Les Mines (France)

So will free travel be available to these three stations as well? Or will you have to pay to go to these?

2. Will free travel be available on the DB (Germany State Railways) and SNCB/NMBS/NGBE (Belgium State Railways) and SNCF (France State Railways) operated trains for journeys that are entirely within Luxembourg?

3. Will free travel be available on the CFL (Luxembourg State Railways) operated trains for journeys to and from Belgium and France and Germany (other than to the three stations i mentioned)?

4. What will happen to first class? Will it be free to travel in first class as well or will you have to pay? If so would you have to buy a ticket before boarding or would you simply buy one onboard? Or will they just get rid of first class?

5. Will free travel only be available to citizens of Luxembourg (just like the free public transport in Estonia) or will it be available to anyone? Could anyone just simply board a train and travel for free?

6. I would also be interested in the policy of cross border buses? Will free travel only be available within Luxembourg? Within Luxembourg will it be available on Belgium and France and Germany based bus operators or only on Luxembourg based bus operators? Will you be able to travel in to Belgium and France and Germany on Luxembourg based bus operators? Will any cross border travel be free on buses?

Perhaps if anyone on here speaks Luxembourgish you may be able to find more detailed articles online about this?
 

delticdave

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The Brussels-Basel service has been withdrawn. The NMBS service from Brussels' last call is in Arlon, in Belgium. The service from Liege to Luxembourg used to be run by Luxembourg trains; not sure if it still is. I don't know about services to France.

The Liege trains are still only 2 hourly, with loco hauled Belgian stock, & a CFL Class 1300 dual voltage (3kV DC / 25kV AC) loco.
The are semi-fast in Lux, the last stop before the border is Troisvierges, & CFL tickets are valid thus far.
 

Butts

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As a regular traveller to Luxembourg to purchase Cigarettes this is hardly a huge event.

Someone has already alluded to the fact above that currently a Day Ticket valid throughout Luxembourg for Bus and Trains is only 4 Euro's.

If you want to go First Class on the Trains I think the price rises to 6 or 7 Euro's.
 

krus_aragon

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As a regular traveller to Luxembourg to purchase Cigarettes this is hardly a huge event.

Someone has already alluded to the fact above that currently a Day Ticket valid throughout Luxembourg for Bus and Trains is only 4 Euro's.

If you want to go First Class on the Trains I think the price rises to 6 or 7 Euro's.
*Glances at profile pic*
Do they sell cigarettes to cats in Luxembourg?
 

Busaholic

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Only to over 18 years' old
I've had a cat of over 18 years' old: he never smoked, but his previous owner, whose death precipitated us taking Ginger on, was a 60 a day woman. Mind you, the drink got her first!

Back on topic, I believe the Day Rover rate inc 1st class on trains is 6 euros, not that I've ever been to Luxembourg or experienced the slightest desire to do so.
 

Butts

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You don't know what you are missing - it's a lovely place.

If you are into WWII history particularly so , but many other great sights are available.
 

Busaholic

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You don't know what you are missing - it's a lovely place.

If you are into WWII history particularly so , but many other great sights are available.
I'm sure you're right, it's just there are many more places I've never been to that would come first, Burgundy for instance.
 

delticdave

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I've had a cat of over 18 years' old: he never smoked, but his previous owner, whose death precipitated us taking Ginger on, was a 60 a day woman. Mind you, the drink got her first!

Back on topic, I believe the Day Rover rate inc 1st class on trains is 6 euros, not that I've ever been to Luxembourg or experienced the slightest desire to do so.

Assuming that you like buses/ bus travel then Luxembourg is a good country to explore, by bus.....
State & City owned services, + small private operators, all part of a co-ordinated transport system that can be sampled for pennies.
Good quality vehicles too, + a brand-new tramway & an interesting railway system all for 4 Euros per day!

French is the official language, everyone also speaks a version of German + English is widely understood.

Good hotels, nice food, varied scenery, & cheap fuel if you are driving

But if Burgundy is your thing, (that's in France?) then enjoy it.
 

Busaholic

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Assuming that you like buses/ bus travel then Luxembourg is a good country to explore, by bus.....
State & City owned services, + small private operators, all part of a co-ordinated transport system that can be sampled for pennies.
Good quality vehicles too, + a brand-new tramway & an interesting railway system all for 4 Euros per day!

French is the official language, everyone also speaks a version of German + English is widely understood.

Good hotels, nice food, varied scenery, & cheap fuel if you are driving

But if Burgundy is your thing, (that's in France?) then enjoy it.
You're talking me round! Got to say, I grew up on Radio Luxembourg, listening under the bed sheets. I just got the impression it was a tax haven with all the allure of Monaco to those of us with a tad less than a million (several tads less,actually.) So maybe it'll go on my mental list.

Burgundy is in France, and I certainly appreciate their wines on the rare occasion when I get to drink them :lol:
 

delticdave

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You're talking me round! Got to say, I grew up on Radio Luxembourg, listening under the bed sheets. I just got the impression it was a tax haven with all the allure of Monaco to those of us with a tad less than a million (several tads less,actually.) So maybe it'll go on my mental list.

Burgundy is in France, and I certainly appreciate their wines on the rare occasion when I get to drink them :lol:

Guess what, Luxembourg also produces wine.... Part of their border with Germany is about a 25 mile stretch of the Moselle / Mosel & they do produce some decent whites,
mostly from Rivaner grapes & very easy to find, but rarely exported.

I can also remember Radio Luxembourg, fading in & out on 208 medium wave. I prefered the pirates, easier to find on a car radio.
It's not a big country, roughly triangular, the iron ore mining museum c/w a narrow-gauge tourist electric railway into the iron-ore mountain reached by a standard gauge preserved branchline is worth visiting.
Luxembourg City is indeed a tax haven with many daily commuters from the surrounding countries, theres steel making in the S.West corner & some farming too.

Good roads,open borders & cheap fuel make Lux a good touring base if you have your own car or rent one, & if you are a railfan there's quite a variety of foreign trains
in Lux, or within a 1 or 2 hour ride.
I've had day-trips by train to Liege, Nancy & Saarbrucken, when staying in Troisvierges (far north of Lux) & further afield by car.

All in all, a nice little country for a vacation......
 

Spoorslag '70

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French is the official language, everyone also speaks a version of German + English is widely understood
French is one official language (besides German and the local Germanic language). You will be more than fine with either German, French or English (and even Portuguese).

Besides the extraordinarily chep and excellent transport network, I really have to recommend the transport museum at the bus garage in Hollerich: Free, excellent vehicles (trams and buses) and a very nice documentation with many original documents.
 

MarcVD

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Luxembourg ville is also a station which is routinely reached by services coming from the 3 neighbouring countries. There are not that many train stations in the world where you can see rolling stock from 4 different national railway administrations simultaneously. There is however a bit less variety today, as the line to Germany is essentially operated by CFL, so the appearance of DB stock is now much less frequent than it used to be.
 

thenorthern

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You have to remember Luxembourg is one of the richest countries per head in the world with a very high rate of tax for certain things but not others meaning the government has a lot of money to spend.
 
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Thinking about it i don't think there is any Deutsche Bahn stock that enters Luxembourg any more? Isn't it 100% Stadler Kiss EMUs run by CFL (Luxembourg State Railways) that cross the border these days?
 

50043

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You don't know what you are missing - it's a lovely place.

If you are into WWII history particularly so , but many other great sights are available.

I am considering a Luxembourg visit with a WW2 history slant. I know there is a couple of Battle of the Bulge museums and memorial museums, but is there anything you would recommend that might not be apparent from google searches that would be a good visit? Thanks
 
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