Ove Dahl Kristensen
10 March 2026
How countries make rail the backbone of transport
Ramboll's European Rail Atlas reveals that countries where rail plays a central role in mobility and logistics have achieved this through deliberate policy choices, long-term investment, and integrated planning. Their experience shows how rail can become central to national economic competitiveness, climate goals, and providing more equitable access to mobility.
Ramboll's European Rail Atlas shows that rail transport accounts for just 7% of passenger journeys in Europe on average, masking wide differences between countries. Switzerland leads with a 23% modal share, followed by Austria, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden, that are all above 10%. Freight tells a similar story: while railways carry around 21% of the continent's freight overall, several countries exceed 30%, demonstrating rail's critical role in logistics and supply chains.
Countries where rail transport is most relevant have made it a national priority aligning transport, economic, and climate strategies around its development. This comes on the back of decades of consistent political commitment, integrated transport planning, and stable investment frameworks.
Well-functioning national rail systems are not accidental. They are the result of long-term strategic decisions that align investment, policy, and operations, and recognition that rail is critical national infrastructure and a core public service.
Switzerland shows how rail becomes part of national identity
Switzerland provides one of the clearest examples of how national railways can become central to everyday life and economic activity. Its success is rooted in coordinated policies spanning funding, operations, and freight regulation.
Three decisive factors underpin Switzerland's success in ensuring railways have become an essential public service:
- Long-term funding creates certainty: Stable federal investment frameworks provide predictable funding beyond political cycles. This allows rail infrastructure managers and operators to plan and deliver upgrades efficiently, ensuring consistent service quality over decades. This stability reflects the long lifecycle of rail infrastructure and rolling stock, where interruptions in funding can create lasting performance and reliability impacts.
- Freight policy strengthens rail competitiveness: Freight policy reinforces rail's role through road pricing, restrictions on heavy truck traffic across sensitive Alpine routes, and reinvestment of road toll revenues into rail infrastructure. This ensures rail remains competitive for long-distance freight transport.
- Timetable integration makes rail easy to use: Switzerland's nationwide clock-face timetable ensures services run at regular, predictable intervals. This enables seamless transfers between trains, making rail the most convenient option for many journeys. Stations are typically designed as central mobility hubs, providing convenient connections to buses, cycling, car sharing, and parking facilities thereby ensuring smooth door-to-door journeys.
It should be noted that Switzerland has chosen to keep the traditional organisation of its train lines, where the infrastructure and the operation is kept in the same company and under common management, as is the case in most other countries outside the EU.
The importance of rail freight
Rail's national relevance extends beyond passenger transport. Freight rail plays a critical role in supporting economic competitiveness, supply security, reducing congestion, and lowering emissions.
Countries with strong freight rail performance typically seek to ensure rail is attractive for rail operators. This includes strategic investments in freight rail corridors, pricing policies that reflect the true costs of road transport, and the integration of efficient freight terminals with strong connections between rail, ports, and logistics centres that allow smooth intermodal transport of goods.
Stable investment builds trust and performance
One of the strongest predictors of rail relevance is stable, long-term investment. Countries that embed rail transport funding in multi-year legislative frameworks create certainty for planners, operators, and suppliers. This enables efficient project delivery, improves infrastructure quality, and reduces lifecycle costs.
Predictable funding also builds public confidence and the willingness to use rail. Passengers choose rail when it is convenient, reliable and fairly priced. Freight operators rely on rail when it delivers efficient, dependable service. Conversely, inconsistent rail investment leads to infrastructure backlogs, declining reliability, and reduced usage.
Five actions to make rail central to national transport systems
Ramboll's European Rail Atlas reveals five practical steps that countries can take to strengthen rail's role in transport networks:
1. Embed rail investment in long-term funding frameworks: Stable, multi-year funding enables efficient planning and consistent delivery.
2. Integrate rail into the wider transport system: Align rail with urban development, regional transport, and logistics networks.
3. Implement timetable-driven operations: Regular, predictable schedules improve usability and efficiency.
4. Strengthen freight rail through policy and price incentives: Low track access charges, diverting tolls from road freight to rail transport, and regulatory measures can increase freight rail competitiveness.
5. Align railway plans with national climate, energy, and economic strategies: Position rail as a strategic asset supporting long-term national priorities.
The national relevance of rail transport reflects deliberate strategic choices. Countries that invest consistently, integrate systems effectively, and align rail with broader national objectives achieve stronger transport performance and greater economic and environmental benefits.
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