Luxembourg’s state-owned railway company CFL is cancelling trains to France due to labour shortages.
CFL has indicated that it is having to adapt its offer at the French border due to insufficient numbers of carriage attendants.
Thus, next week, from 12 to 16 February, no train will run between Audun-le-Tiche and Esch-sur-Alzette and a coach service will be put in place. Between Volmerange-les-Mines and Bettembourg, one train in two will continue to run with “a sufficient number of seats”, CLF said in a press release.
CFL cancels trains to France. Not enough coach attendants
The national railway company explains this decision, the second of its kind in a relatively short space of time, by a “tense workforce situation”. CFL is having trouble recruiting carriage attendants. “Hiring for certain positions is a real challenge,” says the operator.
Added to these difficulties, like other companies this season, is a high number of absences from work due to sickness and pre-planned leave. “Under these circumstances, the cancellation of trains is necessary in view of the important safety, support and information tasks entrusted to the attendants present on each train running on the Luxembourg rail network,” the statement added.
The state rail operator CFL (Société nationale des chemins de fer luxembourgeois) had set itself the target of recruiting 500 people last year, but this target has been exceeded. In the end, the number of new hires in 2023 was 515 people following the “Missions that rock!” campaign. It should be noted that CFL is the largest employer in Luxembourg.
At the end of last year, 25 carriage attendants were employed, bringing the number to 260, and another 20 will start work in May 2024. Another 20 will take up their duties in the fourth quarter of this year.
Share on:
