The railway infrastructure of Europe shows significant regional differences in development and usage, reports the railway news portal Railway Supply, citing nakolei.pl.

Procurement of High-Speed Trains
Photo: DB

More than half of all railway lines on the continent are concentrated in five countries, indicating an uneven distribution of the transport network.

Leaders in Railway Length

The leader among these countries is Germany, which accounts for 16.8% of the entire European railway network.

In 2022, Germany managed nearly 39.2 thousand km of tracks, making its railway infrastructure the longest in Europe.

Following Germany is France, whose railway network spans 27.6 thousand km. Poland, with almost 19.4 thousand km of railway lines, ranks third, making up 8.3% of the total European track length.

On the other hand, Luxembourg, being one of the smallest countries, has the shortest railway network, measuring less than 271 km.

This fact highlights the significant differences in transport infrastructure between large and small European states.

Growth in Network Electrification

An interesting trend is observed: despite the overall decline in the length of railway lines, the length of electrified tracks in Europe continues to grow.

In 2022, the length of electrified lines increased to more than 131.2 thousand km, accounting for 56.2% of the total European railway network.

In this regard, Switzerland shows the greatest progress, where all railways are fully electrified. This process began in Switzerland as early as the beginning of the 20th century and reached 93% electrification by 1939.

Countries with High Electrification Levels

Other countries also show a significant level of electrification. In Luxembourg, almost 97% of railways run on electricity, in Belgium – 88%.

Poland ranks fourth in the length of electrified tracks among 31 European countries, with a figure of 12.1 thousand km.

In Italy, for example, 71% of the entire railway network is electrified, while in France, it’s 61%.

Germany leads in this regard with 21.2 thousand km of electrified lines, which makes up more than half of its railway network.

Railways for Passengers

Europe’s railways primarily serve passenger transport, as confirmed by the high intensity of the network’s use by passenger trains.

In 2022, the average figure in Europe was 44 train-kilometers per day per 1 km of track, with the highest figures observed in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark.

In Poland, this figure was below the European average, amounting to 26 train-kilometers.

Railway Use for Freight Transport

As for freight transport, the intensity of network usage is significantly lower. In 2022, the average figure across Europe was 10 train-kilometers per day per 1 km of track.

Slovenia stands out among other countries, where the intensity of network use by freight trains is even higher than by passenger trains.

Development of High-Speed Lines

High-speed railway lines also play an important role in Europe’s transport system.

In 2022, the total length of such tracks exceeded 8.8 thousand km, which is 162 km more than the previous year.

Spain leads in the length of high-speed lines with nearly 3.2 thousand km, followed by France and Germany.

In Germany, their length increased by 59 km, reaching nearly 1.2 thousand km.

Thus, the railway infrastructure of Europe demonstrates a combination of high electrification standards, a focus on passenger transport, and the development of high-speed lines.

These factors make railway transport a key element of the European transport system.

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