A new report from Transport and Environment (T&E) has revealed that Europe’s rail services are falling short of expectations, with expensive ticket prices not necessarily translating to higher-quality services. The survey ranked 27 rail operators across the continent based on criteria such as ticket prices, reliability, and booking experience, among others.
Italy’s Trenitalia emerged as the top operator with a score of 7.7 out of 10, followed by Switzerland’s SBB and Czechia’s RegioJet. On the other hand, Eurostar was at the bottom of the list due to high prices and poor reliability.
The report also highlighted the need for industry-wide reforms in the European rail sector to improve services, citing the importance of affordability in making train travel accessible to all Europeans. Research has shown that high ticket prices are driving passengers away from trains, with 73% of people believing that rail travel should generally be cheaper than air travel on the same routes.
To address these issues, T&E recommends that rail operators set customer-friendly fares while governments ensure fair competition and lower rail tolls. The EU Commission’s plans for a Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation could also help improve the overall rail experience by making cross-border bookings easier and ensuring full passenger rights in case of delays.
Overall, T&E calls for a collaborative effort between industry stakeholders and governments to make European rail more reliable, affordable, and easier to use for passengers.
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