Today, the European Commission adopted the 8th Rail Market Monitoring Report (RMMR).

The main findings show that:

• Between 2015 and 2019, freight traffic rose by 3% annually
• Between 2019 and 2020, freight traffic fell by 8% due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Data from 2021 shows a promising recovery in freight transport volumes 

Moreover, the data shows that in 2020:

• Freight accounted for 17% of the land modal share (-2% compared to 2015)
• Freight services represented 21% of all train kilometers run
• Cross-border freight traffic represented 53% of all traffic
• Alternative operators accounted for 46% of the freight market (+10% compared to 2015)
• The average freight market share of new entrants was 46% (+11% compared to 2015)
• Total infrastructure spending rose from €39.1 billion to €41.8 billion (+7% compared to 2015)
• Infrastructure spending was divided between maintenance (25%), renewals (27%), upgrades (28%), and new investments (20%)
• 57% of the EU’s rail network was electrified

For more information about the report, click here.