INFRASTRUCTURE
Modern, efficient and reliable infrastructure is the backbone of the European economy. The rail network in Europe enables the transport of passengers and goods across member states with high efficiency and low emissions.
226 726 km
is the length of the EU’s rail network. This is equivalent to travelling around the world 5.5 times.
>50%
of railway lines in Europe are electrified. These lines carry most of the rail transport across Europe.
4/5
4 trains out of 5 are already running on electricity, which is becoming greener.
PASSENGER TRANSPORT
European railways bring passengers to their work and school, to their leisure activity or holiday destination. From long-distance to local and regional trains, the railways have something to offer to each customer.
9.5 bn
passengers are transported by EU railways every year.
>90%
of Europe’s passenger trains are on time
4 in 5
Europeans take the train (80%).
67%
are occasional travellers
13%
use it frequently (i.e. at least once a week)
FREIGHT TRANSPORT
Rail freight is particularly well placed to reduce Europe’s dependence on imported fuels, due to its high energy efficiency and major reliance on electric energy. Rail freight can support Europe’s competitiveness if the right framework conditions are set in place.
421 million km
is the distance travelled by cargo goods on trains in Europe in 2017.
16.5%
of inland freight was transported by rail in the EU in 2017
17%
of rail cargo is transported by rail-road combined transport, 81% of it by swapbodies, the rest by semi-trailers and rolling motorway.
ECONOMIC FOOTPRINT
Rail is an essential component of the transport system, and transport is an essential function of any modern economy.
Economic size of Europe’s rail sector (GVA)
Millions of persons employed
1 million directly
1.3 million indirectly
ONE job in railway transport creates more than ONE other job in indirectly dependent economic activities.
SAFETY
Interoperability and safety enhance and ensure the seamless and safe circulation of passengers and goods on railway vehicles across the European Union and even beyond its borders.
Rail is the safest mode of land transport
Fatalities per billion passenger-kilometres for different modes of transport (2011-2015)
ENVIRONMENT
Rail contributes to reducing the transport users’ environmental burden on society combining energy-efficient mobility with fewer emissions.
Specific CO2 emissions per transport mode
Rail is 9x less CO2 intensive than road for freight and air travel for passengers.
Passenger
Freight
Energy efficiency of rail
Rail is 6x more energy-efficient than road due to physical advantages such as lower rolling and air resistance.
Rail accounts for just 2% of total EU energy consumption in transport, while it carried 17% of freight and 8% of passengers of all transport modes in 2017.
