A fresh initiative will enable French commuters to travel to their workplaces in Luxembourg free of charge, presenting environmental advantages as well.

Luxembourg stands out as the sole nation globally offering complimentary public transportation, and now it’s poised to broaden its scope. Since 2020, all buses, trains, and trams have been fare-free across the microstate. A novel trial program will extend these benefits to commuters residing in French municipalities bordering Luxembourg.

Operational during peak hours in the morning and evening, this service will cater to thousands of commuters dwelling in France and laboring in the Grand Duchy. Currently, these commuters can only enjoy Luxembourg’s free transport upon reaching the border, necessitating paid transit to return home to France. Consequently, six French communities near the Luxembourg border have devised a workaround, uniting to furnish a complimentary shuttle for workers journeying into Luxembourg.

The pilot scheme will debut with a six-month trial period, not only benefiting commuters but also alleviating traffic congestion on the interconnecting road, thus offering environmental advantages. Roland Balcerzak, mayor of the French region of Hettange-Grande, one of the municipalities involved, highlighted this aspect in an interview with online newspaper Luxtimes.

The brainchild of the Communauté de Communes de Cattenom et Environs, comprising six municipalities, the project is estimated to cost approximately €730,000. The complimentary shuttle on the French side will gather commuters from these areas, transporting them to Mondorff, situated on the border. Subsequently, commuters will cross the border on foot, arriving at Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg. From there, they can avail themselves of the Grand Duchy’s complimentary public transport network to reach their final destination.

Over 120,000 French workers embark on the daily commute to Luxembourg, yet criticisms have long persisted regarding the lack of sophisticated transport links between the two countries. This initiative marks the initial step in a series of changes aimed at enhancing the situation. Last year, both the French and Luxembourg governments pledged to enhance train services, with trains set to run every 10 minutes between Metz, France, and Luxembourg City by 2030. Additionally, plans are underway to extend Luxembourg City’s tram service to the French border.

This commuter scheme will likely resonate with environmental activists. While Luxembourg pioneered complimentary tickets for commuters and foreign tourists alike in Europe, it failed to dissuade people from relying on cars. Herwig Schuster, transport expert for Greenpeace’s Mobility for All campaign, emphasized this limitation, stating that people continued to use cars for cross-border trips due to the lack of incentives. With more than 200,000 people commuting in and out of Luxembourg, needing tickets for neighboring countries, the French initiative is poised to mitigate this issue going forward.