Cross Border

8 stories

Greater Region
Cross-border rail
Double-decker trains arrive on the Metz-Luxembourg line as France and the Grand Duchy chase 21,000 peak-hour seats
The Grand Est Region unveiled at Metz station on 4 May 2026 the first of 16 double-decker trains now running on the Metz-Thionville-Luxembourg line. Each five-car Z26500 set seats 554 passengers, up from 313, and has been cleared to cross into Luxembourg since 29 April. The plan lifts peak-hour capacity toward 21,000 seats by 2030, with Luxembourg co-funding a new Metz-area workshop.
By Mathias Faber31 May 2026
World
Cross-border nuclear
Luxembourg Demands a Seat as Cattenom Reactor Turns 40
As France opens the decennial review that could keep the first Cattenom reactor running past its 40-year design life in 2026, Luxembourg — about 10 km downstream on the Moselle — is again pressing to be consulted at every stage of a plant it wants shut. The ASNR has cleared the country's 1,300 MWe fleet to run another decade, subject to upgrades; EDF expects to spend around EUR 6 billion.
By Tom Reuter21 May 2026
Finance
Labour market
Luxembourg unemployment stays at 6.3%, but ADEM’s March data shows where pressure is building
ADEM recorded 20,491 resident jobseekers available for work at 31 March 2026. The unemployment rate remained 6.3%, but increases among highly qualified workers, 30-44 year-olds and non-residents show a changing labour market.
By Mathias Faber and Marie-Anne Kayser16 May 2026
Greater Region
Greater Region
Cross-Border Pension Deal Removes Decade-Old Friction for 110,000 French Workers
An updated bilateral pensions protocol removes decades-old friction for 110,000 French residents working in Luxembourg, set to take effect 1 January 2026.
By Julia Weber13 May 2026
Luxembourg
Energy & Safety
Cattenom Hits Its 40-Year Inspection — and Luxembourg's Pressure Campaign Resumes
EDF wants to extend the lifespan of the four-reactor Cattenom nuclear plant on Luxembourg's doorstep until at least 2035. Reactor 1's pivotal fourth ten-yearly safety review takes place in 2026.
By Mathias Faber15 April 2026
Greater Region
Greater Region
France and Luxembourg Launch Joint Working Group on Cross-Border Spatial Planning
On 13 March 2026 in Esch-sur-Alzette, Minister Claude Meisch and Moselle Prefect Pascal Bolot inaugurated a new Franco-Luxembourg working group to coordinate housing, transport, demographics and resource preservation across the border.
By Mathias Faber13 March 2026
Luxembourg
Rail
CFL Puts the First Six-Unit Coradia Stream HC Into Service on the Luxembourg-Athus Line
On 19 January 2026, CFL launched its first six-unit configuration of the 2450-series Coradia Stream High Capacity train between Luxembourg City and Athus — the largest single cross-border commuter capacity in CFL history.
By Mathias Faber19 January 2026
Greater Region
Cross-border
New 2026 Rule: Cross-Border Workers Need Six Continuous Months in Luxembourg to Claim Unemployment Benefits
From 2026, French, Belgian and German residents working in Luxembourg are entitled to Luxembourg unemployment benefits only after six uninterrupted months of work in the Grand Duchy.
By Mathias Faber1 January 2026