EU Q3 2021 Rail Passengers Close to 2019 Levels

EU Q3 2021 Rail Passengers

06 April 2022
Niche Tourism

EU Q3 2021 Rail Passengers Close to 2019 Levels

After months of refraining from travelling, also due to restrictive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, rail passenger transport is getting back on track. In the third quarter (Q3) of 2021, the rail sector in the EU is recording a significant increase in terms of passengers.

In 20 EU Member States, the number of rail passengers increased in the third quarter of 2021 compared with the same quarter of 2020, when COVID-19 was ramping up for the second peak.

Data shows however, that the number of passengers is still below the pre-pandemic level of the third quarter of 2019, but there are indications for a gradual improvement in the sector.

Compared with Q3 2020, the largest increases in Q3 2021 were observed in Slovenia (+45 percent, +948 000 passengers), followed by Ireland (+42 percent, +1 496 000 passengers), Italy (+30 percent, +29 266 000 passengers), Spain (+29 percent, +22 392 000 passengers) and the Netherlands (+23 percent, +9 571 000 passengers).

During the same quarter and compared also with Q3 2020, Latvia (-12 percent, -492 000 passengers), Croatia (-3 percent, -99 000 passengers) and Czechia (-1 percent, -233 000 passengers) continued to register a decrease in the number of rail passengers.