1. Chemin de Fer Secondaires

The manufacturer SLM (Schweizerische Lokomotiven und Machinenfabrik) of locomotives did have a bad time around 1880. So they founded a branch company, who erected and exploited secondary railways (in France, Germany and in Luxemburg). On 6 August 1880 they got concession for two secondary railways in Luxemburg, from Luxemburg to Remich and from Cruchten to Larochette.

Directly after the opening in 1882 the company got a nickname "Jhangeli", named to the promotor of the lines mr. Jean (Jhang) Knaff, mayor and deputy of state. Later on this nickname was given to all secondary lines in Luxemburg.

From 1911 on the Chemin de Fer Secondaires also did the exploitation of the side line from Aspelt to Bettembourg, which was until that year exploited by the Chemins de Fer Vicinaux

The lines were profitable until the First World War, after which losses were to be captured. From 1934 on the lines were exploited by the state of Luxemburg (see further on at point 5).

• Cruchten - Larochette
• Luxemburg - Aspelt - Mondorf - Remich
• Bettembourg - Aspelt

2. Chemins de Fer Cantonaux Luxembourgeois

In 1885 the state of Luxemburg gave concession to a Belgian consortium (led by 3 man, mr. Taskin from Jemeppe, mr.Hanne from Liege and mr.Brouta from Luxemburg) for two narrow gauge lines (from Noerdange to Martelange, and from Diekirch to Vianden), and for one normal gauge line (from Wasserbillig to Grevenmacher). A company was formed on 31 May 1887, the "Chemins de Fer Cantonaux Luxembourgeois). The concession for the line from Wasserbillig to Grevenmacher was given to the PH railway, who incorporated this line in the network from Diekirch to Wasserbillig.

Then name "cantonaux" was given because the lines of the company were running around three cantonal cities: Redange, Vianden and Grevenmacher.

The cantonal railways were making loss, so on 1 January 1924 the state of Luxemburg took over exploitation (see further on at point 5).

• Noerdange - Martelange (Belgium)
• Diekirch - Vianden

3. Chemins de Fer Vicinaux

In 1897 the government of Luxemburg saw the need of some more secondary railways, so they ordered the building of 2 lines, from Luxembourg to Echternach and from Bettembourg to Aspelt. The line Bettembourg-Aspelt was exploited by the "s.a. pour l'exploitation des Chemins de Fer Régionaux de Namur", the line Luxemburg-Echternach was exploited by the Chemin de Fer Secondaires (see above). The line to Echternach got a nickname "Charely", to the promotor Charles Rischard, the minister of public works.

The railway from Luxemburg to Echternach encountered several problems. In the town of Luxemburg there had to be waited until the Pont Alolphe over the Petrusse was built. Also further on, several main engineering works had to be dons, like the large bridge in Dommeldange over the river Alzette and over the main railway line, and three tunnels in the line.

From 1911 the line Bettembourg-Aspelt was exploited by the Chemin de Fer Secondaires. This was a logic choice, as the secondary railways also exploited the line from Luxemburg via Aspelt to Remich.

From 1919 the exploitation of the Chemins de Fer Vicinaux was done by the main railway company Prince Henry.

In september 1928 the part of the line from Luxemburg to Dommeldange was electrified, and incorporated in the city tram network of the Tramway de Ville de Luxembourg.

In 1934 the lines were, like the other narrow gauge lines, also incorporated in the CVE (see further on at pont 5).

• Luxemburg - Echternach
• Bettembourg - Aspelt

4. Industrial narrow gauge line

To be able to go to a stone quarrel, the Prince Henry main line created in 1904 a narrow gauge line from Grundhof (on the main line Diekirch-Wasserbillig) to Beaufort. The community of Grundhof made much effort to make the line also suitable for passengers transport, and in november 1911 this was done. As the line had a large height difference in difficult terrain, there were 3 return-places. The company did not owe any goods wagons, but only lorries on which normal track wagons were placed.

• Grundhof - Beaufort

5. Merging into Chemins de Fer à Voie Etroite

As the Chemins de Fer Cantonaux was in 1924 no longer able to exploit its railways, the state took over exploitation. For this the "Chemins de Fer à Voie Etroite" was founded. In 1934 also the "Chemin de Fer Secondaires" and the "Chemins de Fer Vicinaux" were incorporated into this company. In the years after 1934 plans have existed to electrify several lines, especially the line to Remich, but first the economic crisis and later the Second World War led to it, that nothing has been done with this plans.

In the Second World War, the three networks (two main line networks of PH and PW, and the secondary network of CVE) were incorporated into one company under the German "Deutsche Reichsbahn". After the war, the lines were brought under the CFL.

6. Plans for other narrow gauge lines

In 1911 a law was passed in parliament to build more narrow gauge lines. As the First World War came in 1914, and after that the motor car came quickly into use, no lines were built any more. But form 1911 to 1914 on several places the embankments were partly created. Only a small part of the new lines was made in 1930, when the line from Cruchten to Larochette was extended to Heffingen and a stone quarrel nearby (only for goods transportation).

The projected lines were:

• Redange - Ettelbrück (side line from Noerdange-Martelange)
• Mersch - Arlon (Belgium)
• Luxemburg - Noerdange (to merge the line Noerdange-Martelange with Luxemburg city)
• Larochette - Junglinster (to merge the lines Cruchten-Larochtte with the line Luxemburg - Echternach)
• An electrified line in the southern part of the country