European rail travel grows in 2025

European rail transport reached 457 billion passenger-kilometers in 2025, an increase of 2.6% compared to 2024, according to data published by Eurostat on October 30. This is the highest volume recorded for major rail companies since harmonized data collection began in 2004.

France ranks second in rail trips

France recorded 1.312 billion rail trips in 2025, ranking second in Europe. Germany remained first with 2.954 billion trips, and Italy came third with 844 million. These figures count the number of trips recorded by operators, not the number of unique individuals using the train.

France leads in rail usage per person

France also ranks second in passenger-kilometers per inhabitant, with 1,606, compared to 1,692 in Hungary and 1,588 in Austria. The rise in rail traffic highlights the need for networks to accommodate passengers, as noted in a report by the Transport Regulation Authority published on June 24, 2026.

Passenger-kilometers don’t always mean more passengers

The 2.6% increase in passenger-kilometers does not necessarily reflect an identical increase in the number of tickets sold or passengers transported in each country. Longer journeys contribute to higher passenger-kilometers even if the number of trips remains unchanged.

Rankings don’t measure service quality

While the new European rankings provide a point of comparison, they do not directly measure punctuality, prices, or service quality, which remain essential factors in assessing how passengers actually use the train.