In 2023, France led the European railway passenger traffic with 85.27 billion passenger kilometers, followed by Germany at 83.22 billion. The United Kingdom also showed substantial traffic at 76.51 billion PKMs. Italy and Spain trailed behind with 44.62 billion and 25.95 billion, respectively. Notably, smaller countries like Luxembourg and Estonia recorded the lowest traffic, with values below 0.4 billion PKMs.
The annual variation in traffic from 2022 to 2023 reveals a mixed trend. The United Kingdom showed a positive change of 1.88%, and Romania and Croatia also saw slight increases. However, most countries experienced declines, with Italy, Norway, and Macedonia seeing significant drops of -4.27%, -3.71%, and -20.51%, respectively. Over the last five years, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) shows an overall decline across many nations.
Future trends to watch for in European Railway Passenger Traffic:
- Impact of environmental policies driving a shift from air to rail travel.
- Infrastructure improvements and high-speed rail advancements.
- Potential shifts due to economic conditions and fuel price volatility.
- Influence of technology and digitalization on rail service efficiency and customer experience.
- Recovery patterns post-COVID-19 and geopolitical influences.
Top countries in Railway Passenger Traffic by Country
| # | 10 Countries | Million Passenger Kilometers | Last Year | YoY | 5-years CAGR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 France | 85,270 | 2023 | -17.07% | -1.47% | View data |
| 2 | 2 Germany | 83,220 | 2023 | -9.85% | -3.25% | View data |
| 3 | 3 United Kingdom | 76,510 | 2023 | +1.58% | +1.88% | View data |
| 4 | 4 Italy | 44,620 | 2023 | -4.04% | -4.27% | View data |
| 5 | 5 Spain | 25,950 | 2023 | -8.49% | -2.41% | View data |
| 6 | 6 Switzerland | 17,950 | 2023 | -6.53% | -2.58% | View data |
| 7 | 7 Sweden | 11,830 | 2023 | -8.14% | -2.67% | View data |
| 8 | 8 Austria | 11,710 | 2023 | -8.94% | -2.26% | View data |
| 9 | 9 Czech Republic | 8,760 | 2023 | -6.74% | -3.03% | View data |
| 10 | 10 Romania | 5,720 | 2023 | -1.26% | +0.51% | View data |
