Switzerland is consolidating its status as European leader in passenger rail transport. Data for 2024, compiled from Eurostat statistics, national authorities, and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and recently made public, show that each inhabitant of the Alpine country traveled an average of 2,519 kilometers by train, surpassing the historic record set before the pandemic in 2019 (2,505 km).
At the same time, the Swiss made 71 rail journeys per inhabitant last year, almost four times more than the European average and more than 17 times more than in Romania.
Switzerland’s performance confirms a model of public policy and rail infrastructure that continues to support the world’s most intensively used passenger rail network in relation to its population.
While many European countries are trying to revitalize their rail transport in the context of the green transition, Switzerland remains a benchmark in terms of investment, density, fare integration, and public confidence in rail services.
Steady growth: Switzerland breaks its own European record
The year 2024 marked a new milestone in Swiss rail mobility. With 2,519 passenger-kilometers per capita, the country not only maintains its leading position in Europe, but also sets a new record. This growth is also supported by the evolution of the number of trips: 71 trips on average per capita, compared to 68 in 2023.
This combination – many trips, but relatively short distances – is specific to a very dense rail system with extremely frequent and integrated services, geared towards both urban and suburban mobility and fast interurban connections.
The Swiss rail network is fully integrated into the national public transport system, which allows for truly everyday use of the train.
Austria and Hungary, leaders in the European Union
Within the EU, Austria ranks first with 1,614 passenger-kilometers per capita, followed by Hungary with 1,571 passenger-kilometers.
Austria is thus the leader in the European Union, while Hungary returns to the top after reporting complete data to Eurostat for the first time since 2015.
High values are also recorded by France (1,564 km), Germany and Sweden (1,287 km each), Denmark (1,081 km) and Finland (965 km). These countries significantly exceed the European average of 1,048 passenger-kilometers per capita.
At the opposite end of the scale are countries such as Greece (70 km), Lithuania (153 km), Bulgaria (233 km), Estonia (281 km) and Croatia (296 km), where trains are rarely used, often exclusively for occasional trips.
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