Rail transport in Europe

Rail transport in Europe
Privately owned multi-system locomotive designed for freight and passenger transport
System length
Electrified	57% (EU average)[1]
Track gauge
Main	1,435 mm / 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in standard gauge
High-speed	standard gauge
Electrification
Main	Mixed (see text)
Features
Longest tunnel	Gotthard Base Tunnel 57.09 km (35.47 mi)
Longest bridge	Crimean Bridge 18.1 km (11.25 mi)
Highest elevation	Jungfraujoch
at	3,454 m (11,332 ft)
Lowest elevation	Privolzhskaya Railway (Volga Railway)
at	ca. −28 m (−92 ft)

Rail transport in Europe has diverse technological standards, operating concepts, and infrastructures. Common features are the widespread use of standard-gauge rail, high operational safety and a high proportion of electrification. Electrified railway networks in Europe operate at many different voltages, both AC and DC, varying from 750 to 25,000 volts, and signaling systems vary from country to country, complicating cross-border traffic.

The European Union (EU) aims to make cross-border operations easier as well as to introduce competition to national rail networks. EU member states were empowered to separate the provision of transport services and the management of the infrastructure by the Single European Railway Directive 2012. Usually, national railway companies were split into separate divisions or independent companies for infrastructure, passenger and freight operations. The passenger operations may be further divided into long-distance and regional services, because regional services often operate under public service obligations (which maintain services which are not economically interesting to private companies but nonetheless produce societal benefit), while long-distance services usually operate without subsidies.^{[citation needed]}

Across the EU, passenger rail transport saw a 50% increase between 2021 and 2022, with the 2022 passenger-kilometers figure being slightly under that of 2019 (i.e. before the COVID-19 pandemic).^[4] The trend is expected to continue and rapid investments in European Union railways are under way.^[5]

Switzerland is the European leader in kilometres traveled by rail per inhabitant and year, followed by Austria and France among EU countries.^[6] Switzerland was also ranked first among national European rail systems in the 2017 European Railway Performance Index, followed by Denmark, Finland and Germany.^[7]

Nearly all European countries have operational railway lines, the only exceptions being Iceland, Cyprus and the microstates of Andorra (which never had one) and Malta and San Marino (whose single railway lines were either entirely or mostly dismantled). Russia, Germany and France have the longest railway networks in Europe.^[8] Apart from the islands of Great Britain, Ireland and Denmark, operational island railways are also present on Corsica, Isle of Man, Mallorca, Sardinia, Sicily and Wangerooge.

Public transport timetables, including rail, are amended yearly, usually on the second Sunday of December and June, respectively. The European Rail Timetable publishes rail schedules for all European countries.^[9]

Eurail and Interrail are both rail passes for international rail travel in Europe for tourists.