VCÖ analysis shows:

Austria is the EU leader in rail travel

(Bild: © ÖBB/Harald Eisenberger)

In Austria, more than twice as many kilometers per person are travelled by train, streetcar and subway than the EU average. With 2160 kilometers per capita and year, Austria is the EU champion in rail travel.

At the same time, less is driven by car. Switzerland remains the European champion in rail transport in Europe. This is shown by a recent analysis by the Austrian Transport Club (VCÖ) based on data from the EU Commission.

According to the VCÖ, however, improvements are needed above all in rail transport for urban-rural connections and in the regions. In its analysis, the mobility club refers to recently published data from the EU Commission. France is in second place in the EU ranking with 1750 kilometers, while Sweden is in third place with 1440 kilometers.

Switzerland is the European champion in rail transport
Germany is in fifth place behind the Czech Republic with 1280 kilometers, while Italy is only in eleventh place with 880 kilometers. The average within the EU is 1060 kilometers. In Europe, only Switzerland is ahead of Austria, with 2310 kilometers per capita per year travelled by rail in the Swiss Confederation.

According to the VCÖ analysis, Austria is fortunately below the EU average for car journeys. Most recently, 7770 kilometers per capita and year were driven by car in this country. The average in the EU is 9200 kilometers. At 5130, Malta has the fewest car kilometers in relation to its population, while Luxembourg has the most at 12290, according to the mobility club.

Great need to catch up on cycling infrastructure
"The Netherlands, for example, is better than Austria, where thanks to a dense network of cycle paths, many everyday journeys can be made by bicycle. Austria still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to improving its cycling infrastructure.

The potential to shift shorter car journeys to the bicycle is huge in Austria. "Four out of ten car journeys are shorter than five kilometers," said VCÖ expert Michael Schwendinger. He believes that the future federal government and the federal states in particular need to improve the infrastructure for cyclists.

According to the VCÖ, Austria needs to make progress in rail transport, particularly in the connections between the city and surrounding areas. In addition to the expansion of the suburban railroad network, connections with streetcars that go to the outskirts of larger cities are also important.