EU rail passenger travel rises to record levels in 2024 while freight sees slight decline

In 2024, rail passenger transport in the EU reached 443 billion passenger-kilometres (pkm), up from 419 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 5.8%. This is the highest level recorded by main rail undertakings since Eurostat began collecting data in 2004.

Germany carried the largest number of passengers, with 2,904 million, followed by France with 1,320 million and Italy with 843 million. At the lower end of the scale, Lithuania carried 5 million, Estonia 8 million, and Greece 14 million passengers. Hungary recorded the highest growth rate in passenger numbers at 60.0%, followed by Latvia at 13.9% and Ireland at 10.0%. In contrast, Romania and Bulgaria experienced declines of 4.9% and 3.1% respectively.

When adjusted for population, Luxembourg had the highest passenger-per-capita ratio at 32.8, followed by Denmark at 31.0 and Germany at 30.0. The lowest ratios were observed in Greece and Lithuania, both at 1.5, followed by Bulgaria and Romania at 3.6.

In rail freight transport, the EU saw a slight decline, reaching 375 billion tonne-kilometres (tkm) in 2024, down from 378 billion tkm in 2023, a decrease of 0.8%. Germany led freight performance with 126,320 million tkm, followed by Poland with 56,713 million tkm and France with 32,249 million tkm. Ireland, Luxembourg, Greece and Estonia all recorded less than 1,000 million tkm.

The main goods transported by rail in the EU in 2024 were metal ores (12.2%), coke and refined petroleum products (10.1%), and basic metals and fabricated metal products (8.9%).

These figures highlight continued strong growth in passenger rail travel across Europe, particularly in Central and Northern Europe, while freight transport shows a slight decline, reflecting broader shifts in supply chains and cargo demand. Rail continues to play a key role in sustainable transport and regional connectivity across the EU.