Rail transport in the European Union achieved a historic milestone in 2024 as passenger travel reached an all‐time high. Eurostat reports that 443 billion passenger-kilometres were recorded, a notable 5.8% increase from 419 billion in 2023. This performance marks the peak since systematic data collection began in 2004, underscoring the robustness of rail travel in the EU market.

Country Performance And Market Leaders

Germany led the continent with 2,904 million passengers carried, outpacing France’s 1,320 million and Italy’s 843 million. In contrast, Lithuania, Estonia, and Greece recorded the lowest volumes, with figures of 5 million, 8 million, and 14 million passengers respectively. These disparities highlight the varying scales of rail infrastructure and market demand across member states.

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Accelerated Growth In Strategic Markets

Highlighting a dynamic shift in regional transit, Hungary experienced an exceptional 60.0% growth in passenger numbers versus 2023. Adjacent markets such as Latvia and Ireland followed with increases of 13.9% and 10.0% respectively. Conversely, Romania and Bulgaria saw modest declines, with decreases of 4.9% and 3.1%, reflecting differing national transportation dynamics.

Passenger Ratios And Capacity Challenges

When adjusted for population, Luxembourg led with a striking ratio of 32.8 passengers per capita, followed closely by Denmark at 31.0 and Germany at 30.0. The lowest passenger-to-population ratios were observed in Greece and Lithuania at 1.5, with Bulgaria and Romania at 3.6, indicating capacity and infrastructure challenges in these regions.

Freight Transport: A Slight Downturn

In stark contrast to passenger travel, EU rail freight transport witnessed a marginal decline. Total freight performance reached 375 billion tonne-kilometres—a 0.8% reduction from 378 billion in 2023. This slight decrease reflects shifting logistics dynamics despite persistent demand in goods movement across the region.

Leading Freight Contributors And Cargo Profiles

Germany again proved its dominance in rail transport, contributing 126,320 million tonne-kilometres, followed by Poland at 56,713 million and France at 32,249 million. Smaller markets, including Ireland, Luxembourg, Greece, and Estonia, each recorded less than 1,000 million tonne-kilometres. The data further reveals that metal ores (12.2%), coke and refined petroleum products (10.1%), and basic metals and fabricated metal products (8.9%) were the primary goods transported by rail, emphasizing the sector’s critical role in industrial logistics.