Europe’s rail boom
Europe’s rail network clocked 443 billion passenger‑km in 2026 — up about 10% from pre‑pandemic levels. Germany is leading expansion and operators are pushing cross‑border and night services like Paris–Berlin and Amsterdam–Milan as greener travel alternatives. (x.com)
Eurostat’s latest release shows EU rail passenger‑kilometres rose 5.8% in 2024 versus 2023, hitting the highest recorded level since data collection began in 2004. (ec.europa.eu) Germany remained the bloc’s largest national market in 2024, carrying roughly 2.904 billion passengers compared with France’s 1.320 billion and Italy’s 843 million. (globalrailwayreview.com) Deutsche Bahn’s 2026 timetable package expands its half‑hourly ICE network from about 900 km to 2,300 km and links 21 cities on a fixed‑interval basis as of the December 14, 2025 timetable change. (railtech.com) Independent operator European Sleeper confirmed a direct Paris–Berlin night service starting 26 March 2026 that will run three times weekly, with bookings opened in mid‑December 2025. (europeansleeper.eu) European Sleeper also plans a new Amsterdam–Milan overnight connection from June 2026 that will traverse the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland before arriving in Lombardy. (adept.travel) The Paris–Berlin relaunch follows the French government’s decision to end subsidies for some Nightjet routes—leading to Nightjet withdrawals in December 2025 that European Sleeper and others moved to replace. (businesstraveller.com) DB is underwriting network growth with major infrastructure works—including Stuttgart 21 phasing, corridor modernisations and ETCS rollouts—that are scheduled through 2026 and aimed at improving capacity and punctuality. (zbir.deutschebahn.com)
