Rail passenger transport in Europe - Statistics & Facts
The use of trains and railways as a mode of transportation is strongly established in Europe. The continent was the pioneer of train travel and, since the first half of the 19th century, the accelerated installation of railroads has been a driving force behind important social and economic changes in Europe. Today, rail transportation continues to play a key part in the continent’s development. In 2021, passengers traveled approximately 345 billion passenger kilometers on European railways, making this region the third-largest market for rail passenger traffic in the world.
Among all the European nations, Switzerland uses its railway network to travel more compared to other land transport means. Around 12.5 percent of Swiss land transport passenger kilometers were attributable to trains in 2021.
The country with the longest railroads is not always the one that offers a better service. One clear example is Germany where only 70 percent of the long-distance and high-speed train services were classified as punctual in 2020. Lithuania had the most punctual rail services in this category, with 99 percent of long-distance trains arriving on time.
Among all the European nations, Switzerland uses its railway network to travel more compared to other land transport means. Around 12.5 percent of Swiss land transport passenger kilometers were attributable to trains in 2021.
More infrastructure, happier passengers?
Europe has a vast train infrastructure with more than 200,000 kilometers of railway lines in use. Germany is, by far, the European country with the longest railway lines. In 2021, the length of German railroads in use reached almost 40,000 kilometers. In recent years, a trend in the European rail market is the expansion of its high-speed infrastructure, which has more than tripled since 2000. In this area, Spain is the leader with over 3,600 kilometers of high-speed railroads in 2020.The country with the longest railroads is not always the one that offers a better service. One clear example is Germany where only 70 percent of the long-distance and high-speed train services were classified as punctual in 2020. Lithuania had the most punctual rail services in this category, with 99 percent of long-distance trains arriving on time.
