Eurostat: rail freight in the EU falls, after river transport decline; down 1.8 per cent in 2025

Brussels – Following inland waterways, rail freight transport also declined in the EU. In 2025, rail freight transport, measured in tonne-kilometres, fell by 1.8 per cent from the previous year, dropping from 375.1 to 368.2 billion tonne-kilometres, according to data released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office. This marks the fourth consecutive year of decline for the sector. 

This figure forms part of a broader picture already highlighted by Eurostat in recent months. In 2025, the volume of goods transported on inland waterways also fell, whilst road transport increased.  A trend that favours road transport at the expense of two modes is considered strategic for reducing pressure on road traffic and sector emissions.

Germany continues to lead the way in rail freight transport in Europe. In 2025, the country accounted for 33.5 per cent of the EU total, with 123.5 billion tonne-kilometres. Poland follows, with 14.7 per cent (54.3 billion tonne-kilometres), and France, with 9.3 per cent (34.4 billion). At the opposite end of the scale is Ireland, where just 43 million tonnes were transported by rail in 2025. Next come Luxembourg, with 214 million, and Estonia, with 492 million. The geographical characteristics and size of the individual countries also influence these figures.

However, the decline is not uniform across the EU. Compared with 2024, rail freight transport fell in 16 Member States, while it rose in eight. The sharpest declines were recorded in Ireland (-35.2 per cent), Latvia (-18.8 per cent) and Estonia (-17.3 per cent). Conversely, the largest increases were observed in Greece (+9.3 per cent), Portugal (+8.4 per cent) and France (+6.6 per cent). Italy is among the countries showing growth, albeit a modest one: +1.6 per cent in 2024.

If, on the other hand, we consider the volume of goods transported by rail per capita, Luxembourg ranks first at 10.7 tonnes per capita, followed by Austria (10.5 tonnes) and Lithuania (8.5 tonnes). The lowest figures are recorded in Ireland (0.03 tonnes), Greece (0.06 tonnes) and Spain (0.5 tonnes).