EU Rail Travel Reaches Record High in 2024, Led by Germany, France, and Italy

Passenger travel by rail across the European Union reached its highest level on record in 2024, with strong demand in nearly every member state. According to the latest EU data, rail operators carried the equivalent of 443 billion passenger-kilometres last year, marking a 5.8% increase from 2023 and surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

Germany remained the continent’s largest rail market, recording 2.9 billion passenger journeys, followed by France (1.32 billion) and Italy (843 million). These three countries accounted for nearly two-thirds of all rail trips within the EU. The recovery was particularly pronounced in Western Europe, where the expansion of high-speed and regional networks helped attract more travellers back to trains.

Central and Eastern Europe also saw notable growth. Hungary led the bloc with an exceptional 60% rise in passenger numbers, reflecting a rebound in domestic travel and improved services on key intercity lines. Latvia (+13.9%) and Ireland (+10%) also recorded double-digit increases. In contrast, Romania (-4.9%) and Bulgaria (-3.1%) reported declines due to ongoing infrastructure issues and limited service capacity.

When measured against population, Luxembourg emerged as the EU’s most frequent user of rail, averaging nearly 33 train journeys per person in 2024. Denmark and Germany followed closely, both exceeding 30 trips per capita. At the opposite end, Greece and Lithuania registered the lowest usage, with only around one to two train journeys per person during the year.

Analysts note that the upturn in passenger rail transport reflects broader efforts to improve connectivity, digital ticketing, and cross-border services under the EU’s Green Deal transport strategy. The growing preference for train travel is being driven by sustainability targets, higher fuel costs, and renewed investment in inter-city and regional rail links.

Freight transport by rail, however, showed a slight decline of 0.8%, as weak industrial output and logistics bottlenecks weighed on cargo movement.

Overall, 2024 reaffirmed rail’s role as one of the most resilient and sustainable transport modes in Europe — with more passengers on board than ever before and steady progress toward a cleaner, interconnected mobility system.

Rail passenger transport in the EU, 2024

(Main undertakings; million passengers and % change vs 2023)

Source: Eurostat dataset rail_pa_typepas, update 21 Oct 2025; Eurostat news release “Rail passenger transport increased by 5.8 % in 2024” (31 Oct 2025).