On October 4th, 1859 the Luxembourg to Metz line opened, the first standard gauge railroad line of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. One month later it was the Luxembourg-Arlon line that started up.
At the time, a number of railroad organisations coexisted in the Grand Duchy, as for example the Royal and Grand Ducal Society of the Guillaume Luxembourg Railroads, founded in 1857. This society owned several lines, such as the Luxembourg-Zoufftgen and Luxembourg-Arlon lines. By 1867, most of the important lines of the present Luxembourg railroad network already existed. The Luxembourg-Wasserbillig-Trier line started up in 1861 and the Luxembourg-Ettelbruck line in 1862. The line to Troisvierges, including the Troisvierges-Gouvy extension (started up in 1867), played an important role in the economic development of the Oesling region. The most important lines were electrified as from 1956, marking the end of the steam locomotive era.
At the end of World War II, the national railroad network was mostly in ruins because it was a favourite target of allied bombers. The allies bombed the railroad to prevent the German army from replenishing troops and munitions, especially after the Normandy invasion. Especially the Bettembourg and Luxembourg stations suffered severe damage. At the end of the war it was necessary to repair the existing infrastructure and to build a new infrastructure in conformity with the demands of a modern railroad.
The national society of Luxembourg railroads (CFL) was founded in May 1946. At first, it did not have enough locomotives to meet the needs of the country. Powerful locomotives transported primary materials and products of the iron and steel industry across Luxembourg and beyond its borders. In the 1950s, France offered locomotives to CFL to thank Luxembourg for having created the Moselle canal. This gift arrived in time for the 100th anniversary of Luxembourg railroads in 1959. These locomotives were operational until they were finally retired in January 2006.
In the past few years, the CFL has acquired new two-level passenger cars as well as new locomotives.
Daily management of CFL is entrusted to a committee of directors, which is presently made up of 5 members under the authority and responsibility of a Director General, Mr. Alex Kremer. CFL focuses on national transportation, international and transborder movement of people and freight by rail and/or road. It is also the manager of the railway infrastructure in Luxembourg, a task entrusted to CFL by the Luxembourg State through the Rail Fund.
To diversify its activities and ensure, as much as possible, its independence from market fluctuations, CFL has created since 1999 several specialised subsidiaries in the field of railroad freight transport and real estate and has chosen to partner with companies which are active in the international market in order to strengthen its position in an increasingly international market.
Thus, CFL Cargo society is a joint venture between CFL and Arcelor-Mittal group and transports annually more than 8.5 million tons of freight. Presently, CFL Cargo dispatches daily more than one thousand cars of freight from the marshalling yard in Bettembourg throughout Europe.