In brief
The European Union logged 457 billion passenger‑kilometres in 2025, a 2.6 % rise over 2024 and the highest level since Eurostat began recording in 2004. Luxembourg leads in per‑capita usage, while Germany accounts for the largest share of total passengers. The data illustrate stark disparities among member states and the resilience of rail transport post‑pandemic.
The European Union, through its statistical office Eurostat, recorded a record 457 billion passenger‑kilometres (pkm) of rail travel in 2025, according to a WAM release dated 31 October 2026. A passenger‑kilometre is the distance travelled by a single passenger on a train, summed over all journeys; it combines volume of riders with length of trips. The figure represents a 2.6 % increase over 2024’s 447 billion pkm and is the highest level reported since data collection began in 2004, signalling a post‑pandemic rebound in rail usage.
Eurostat’s dataset excludes passenger transport by metro, tram and suburban rail services, so the 457 billion figure reflects exclusively inter‑city and main line journeys. The WAM report notes that Germany carried the largest number of passengers overall, 2.954 billion individuals, followed by France with 1.312 billion and Italy with 844 million. This concentration of ridership in the largest countries points to economic, demographic and network differences across the EU.
Methodology and Data Quality
Eurostat collects data through national statistical agencies, aggregating reported passenger counts and average journey lengths from train operators and national rail networks. The agency then applies a standardization process to ensure consistency across member states, correcting for factors such as changes in ticketing systems and reporting frequency. The WAM article confirms that the 457 billion pkm figure is derived from this harmonised, cross‑border dataset. Eurostat’s methodology also includes quality checks that cross‑reference passenger counts with independent transport surveys, enhancing the reliability of the reported rise.
Per‑Capita Disparities and Regional Dynamics
Relative to population, Luxembourg displayed the highest density of rail travel, with 46.1 passengers per inhabitant, followed by Hungary at 35.9 and Denmark at 35.6. The WAM report highlights these per‑capita figures as indicators of how densely utilised the rail network is within each country, with Luxembourg’s small population and high reliance on public transit contributing to its top ranking. The Spanish source, Demócrata, corroborates the 2.6 % growth figure but does not present per‑capita data, reinforcing the WAM numeric reporting as the sole source for those detailed ratios.
The disparate per‑capita levels suggest varying degrees of network penetration, regional mobility patterns and transport policy focus across the Union. Countries with dense urban cores and integrated high‑speed corridors tend to show higher passenger‑kilometre outputs per capita, whereas larger, more sparsely populated nations exhibit lower ratios, reflecting different transportation preferences and geographic constraints.
From a policy perspective, the record high rail usage underscores the European Union’s commitment to sustainable mobility and aligns with the European Green Deal’s targets for carbon‑reduction in transport. The data provide an empirical basis for evaluating the effectiveness of cross‑border rail funding mechanisms, such as the Interreg and Cohesion Funds, which aim to improve connectivity and reduce reliance on road transport across the continent.
Looking forward, Eurostat plans to refine its analytical models by integrating real‑time data from signalling systems and ticketing platforms, which could provide a more granular view of peak‑time usage and station‑level flows. Such enhancements would allow policymakers to fine‑tune infrastructure investments and service schedules to match evolving demand patterns.
In sum, the 2025 record for EU rail travel—both in absolute and relative terms—demonstrates both a resilient recovery from pandemic disruptions and significant intra‑EU disparities in transport consumption. These findings will inform future strategic planning around network expansion, sustainability mandates and inter‑national collaboration to optimize rail services for diverse member states.
