The magnificent view along the avenue de la Liberté will be retained once the tram is operational between the central station and the pont Adolphe. (Illustration: Luxtram)

The magnificent view along the avenue de la Liberté will be retained once the tram is operational between the central station and the pont Adolphe. (Illustration: Luxtram)

The controversy over the removal of trees along the avenue de la Liberté to make way for the tram was put to rest on Friday. The government and city authorities announced that though existing trees would be removed, and replanted, new trees would be eventually planted in their place. In addition, the fact that diesel buses will no longer run along the avenue once that section of the tram is operational means that air quality in what is one of the country’s pollution blackspots will be vastly improved said secretary of state for the environment Camille Gira at a press conference.

In addition, the tram along the avenue de la Liberté will not be powered by overhead cables so that the magnificent view from the place de Metz down to the station is retained, said mayor Lydie Polfer. A two-way cycle lane will be installed on one side of the road, and new paving in natural stone will be laid. The same stone will be used for the platform along which the tram tracks are laid. Work on the connection between the place de l’Etoile and the place de Paris will start before the summer holidays this year. The plan is for the tram to start operating along that stretch of track in 2020.

The next phase of the tram, connecting the red bridge/Pfaffenthal stop with the place de l’Etoile should be completed by June this year, said François Bausch the minister for sustainable development and infrastructure. The route will pass by the Grand Théâtre and along the allée Scheffer on the northern side of the Glacis car park. When completed, the tram will take around 17 minutes from its current terminus near Luxexpo to the place de l’Etoile.

 

Kirchberg stretch already a success

Bausch revealed passenger figures for the Kirchberg stretch of the tram, which began service between the Red Bridge/Pfaffenthal stop and the current Luxexpo terminus on 10 December 2017. 17,000 passengers per day have been counted on average (using Tuesdays and Thursdays as the measure), the minister said. That far exceeds the 8,400 daily passengers projected. The funicular connection between the new Pfaffenthal railway station and the Red Bridge/Pfaffenthal stop is being used by an average of 6,000 passengers a day.