The European Rail Freight Transport Market 2023

In the last three years, the European rail freight industry had to face several challenges. After declining transport performances in 2019 and 2020, the market had recovered in 2021 and the transport performance was even slightly higher than in 2018 at 479 billion tonne-kilometres. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a reorganisation of freight traffic flows has been necessary: Ukraine as well as the Baltic states will be integrated more closely into the European market and traffic on the New Silk Road is increasingly diverting to the middle corridor to avoid Russian territory. As a result, rail transport to and from Eastern Europe continues to gain in importance. In addition to changing transport flows, competition on the market is increasing as the European Commission is intervening with regard to state aid for Fret SNCF and DB Cargo and major shipping companies increase their activities in the European rail freight market.

In 24 country chapters, SCI Verkehr analyses the current situation of rail freight transport in Europe. A special focus lies on the development of different operators. 

Specifically, the study contains:

• Comprehensive overview of the European rail freight market, including key trends and developments
• Analysis and benchmark of the main rail freight operators in Europe
• Detailed analysis of rail freight in 24 country markets, including:
  • Development of basic parameters (rail freight performance, GDP, modal share).
  • Outlook for the mid-term, assessment of market drivers
  • Development of transport performance by destination (national, export and import, transit)
  • Overview of the rail freight infrastructure and the most important transport corridors
  • Development of freight segments transported by rail
  • Development of market shares of former state railways as well as competitors
  • Rail freight turnover of the main players measured in EUR
  • Information on the most important changes in the operator landscape
  • Overview of locomotive and freight wagon fleet per country
• Overview on innovations in the segments freight wagons and transshipment technologies, locomotives and digitisation
• Factsheets on the 12 biggest operators