Brussels – Rail is winning over EU citizens. In 2025, 457 billion passenger-kilometres (pkm) were travelled by rail in the EU, an increase from the 445 billion recorded in 2024 (+2.6 per cent). This is the highest figure recorded by the major railway operators since data collection began in 2004, according Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office.
Germany recorded the highest number of passengers carried at 2,954 million, followed by France (1,312 million), and Italy (844 million). At the other end of the scale are Lithuania (5 million passengers carried), Estonia (8 million), and Greece (14 million).
Relative to population, Luxembourg recorded the highest number (46.1), followed by Hungary (35.9) and Denmark (35.6). The lowest figures were recorded in Greece (1.4) and Lithuania (1.9), followed by Bulgaria and Romania (both at 3.3). Hungary recorded the highest figure for passenger-kilometres per inhabitant (1,692), followed by France (1,606) and Austria (1,588), while the lowest were recorded in Greece (69), Lithuania (164) and Bulgaria (226).
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
