Switzerland continues to dominate European rail travel, leading by a wide margin in both the number of train journeys per person and total kilometers traveled.
In 2023, Swiss residents traveled an average of 2,466 kilometers by train per person and took the train 68 times annually, according to the public transport information service Litra. Compared to the previous year, passenger-kilometers increased by 13.2%, while the number of journeys rose by 11.5%.
This positions Switzerland far ahead of Austria, the second-ranking country, with the Swiss traveling over 50% more by rail in both distance and frequency.
Other nations ranking high in train travel include France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Luxembourg. Conversely, train usage is minimal in Greece and remains relatively low in Croatia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, and Romania.
In Switzerland, rail travel has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, with 22.3 billion passenger-kilometers recorded in 2023—2.5% more than the 2019 record.
The Swiss rail network is also expanding its international offerings, with new direct train routes set to connect Zurich with Florence and Livorno, enhancing cross-border accessibility.
This analysis, based on data from Eurostat and other sources across 25 EU countries (excluding Malta and Cyprus), along with Great Britain, Norway, and Switzerland, highlights Switzerland's exceptional rail usage. Globally, only Japan rivals Switzerland in the popularity of train travel, underlining its position as a global leader in efficient and sustainable transportation. Photo by Hansueli Krapf, Wikimedia commons.