EU: Train passengers in the EU travelled 457 billion passenger-km in 2025, up 2.6% on the year before and the highest figure since data collection began in 2004. Rail freight moved the other way, falling for a fourth year in a row.
Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, published the passenger figures on 30 October. They cover the main rail operators and put 2024 at 445 billion passenger-km.
Growth slowed. A year ago, Eurostat reported a 5.8% rise for 2024, when it put the total at about 443 billion passenger-km.
Germany carries the most, Hungarians travel furthest
Germany’s railways carried 2.95 billion passengers in 2025, ahead of France with 1.31 billion and Italy with 844 million. Lithuania carried 5 million, Estonia 8 million and Greece 14 million.
Measured per inhabitant, Hungary leads on distance with 1,692 passenger-km, ahead of France with 1,606 and Austria with 1,588. Greece is last with 69. Luxembourg has the most journeys per inhabitant at 46.1, followed by Hungary and Denmark at about 36 each. In Greece, the average resident made 1.4 rail journeys in the year.
Freight 10% below its peak
In September, Eurostat put rail freight at 368.2 billion tonne-km in 2025, down 1.8% and the fourth fall in a row. Volumes are roughly 10% below the 2018 peak of 410 billion tonne-km. Road freight grew 0.9% over the same year.
The European Commission’s mobility strategy of December 2020 set the goal of raising rail freight by 50% by 2030 and doubling it by 2050. Five years later, the growth is on the passenger side.