The rail passenger transport movements in Austria have shown a generally increasing trend from 2013 to 2019, peaking at 13.35 billion passenger kilometers in 2019. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decline in 2020, with a dramatic year-on-year drop of 44.44%. Following a recovery phase, there was a substantial increase in 2022, with a year-on-year growth of 53.36%, bringing the value back close to pre-pandemic levels. Nonetheless, 2023 saw a decline of 12.51%, standing at 11.31 billion passenger kilometers. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over the past five years up to 2023 was -3.04%. Forecasted data from 2024 to 2028 suggest a modest recovery with a 5-year CAGR of 0.48% and a total forecasted growth rate of 2.4%.
Future trends to watch for include the impact of post-pandemic recovery measures, changes in travel behavior, and government policies promoting sustainable transportation. Monitoring these factors will be crucial for understanding the sector's growth trajectory.
