Predictions on trends for 2025 through tour operators and booking sites have consistently highlighted the continued popularity of rail transport. Travelers have fallen in love with trains and the proliferation of new facilities means planning a rail odyssey across Europe is less difficult than ever.
However, passengers continue to underline the need for improvements to services and lower fares to keep the sector on track in 2025. If you’re planning a train trip around the continent, this new ranking by Transport & Environment (T&E) has revealed the most reliable, affordable and best-equipped European rail operators.
“A performing rail system is one of the cornerstones of the zero-emission mobility system,” the pro-sustainable body of non-governmental organizations writes in their report. “Rail climate potential can be maximized if train operators improve their services and the EU and Member States support them with incentives and regulations.”
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Reliability is also a priority, as many consumers could be deterred from opting for the train due to poor booking experiences, either before or after purchasing tickets. Research shows that booking an exercise adventure abroad in Europe has a ten times higher abandonment rate than booking a flight. .
The experience is also important, with the speed and comfort among the most important points cited by the survey of McKinsey, and the passengers pointed out the progress of night trains and cycling policies as considerations.
T&E compared 27 European rail operators and their performance in eight categories: ticket price, special fares and reductions, reliability, booking experience, compensation policy, traveler experience, night trains and cycling policy.
Results show Italian main operator Trenitalia tops the overall ranking followed by Czech company RegioJet and Austrian operator ÖBB. Trenitalia performed well in the booking experience, reliability and traveler experience categories. The latter includes providing wifi, electricity sockets and meal or snack services.
SBB is the most punctual operator in Europe and RegioJet has some of the most affordable tickets. In contrast, Eurostar’s low ranking reflects its steep prices and poor reliability score. For ticket price, Flixtrain and Ouigo took the first and second spots while Eurostar and GWR came in last.
“The effects highlight that, in general, rail in Europe does not meet expectations and that high ticket prices do not necessarily translate into higher overall quality,” the report concludes. “ÖBB and Trenitalia offer some of the most productive cash prices in Europe, while Eurostar and Avanti offer superior fares but offer a below-average Array”
“The EU has opened a window of opportunity to, despite everything, to demand that the exercise companies that percentage their tickets with reserve platforms to allow the cross -border reservation with a click without married one,” said Victor Thevenet, director of Railway Policies of t
“With the deployment of the popular European for command and formula errors, which will develop exercise capacity and punctuality, those regulations have the prospect of making the rail more reliable and less difficult to use. Now is the time for the commission shows that these are not empty promises.