On 8 June 2026, several topics of interest to rail data providers were discussed during the Eurostat Expert Group on Rail Transport Statistics virtual meeting.
At the beginning of the meeting, Eurostat highlighted the continued importance of communicating annual and quarterly data. Regarding the regional statistics collected every five years on goods transport, passenger transport, and rail infrastructure, Eurostat plans to cooperate with the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) to integrate Primary Location Codes (PLCs) into station files and to explore the possibility of pre-filling certain metadata using information from the Register of Infrastructure (RINF). This development could help reduce the statistical reporting burden for data providers.
Eurostat then emphasised the need to improve the consistency of international rail freight statistics, particularly in light of the discrepancies identified through mirror checks. Several countries presented possible solutions, and Eurostat plans to continue discussions with the countries most concerned, in order to document the possible causes of these inconsistencies and promote good practices.
Several innovative approaches to data collection were also highlighted in the meeting. The Netherlands proposed using data from the national rail ticketing system to support statistical production. Managing confidentiality issues was also addressed during discussions. In addition, Eurostat presented the option of using RailNetEurope’s Train Information System (TIS) as an alternative or complementary source for train-kilometre statistics and five-yearly traffic flow data. However, this option requires further evaluation regarding coverage, definitions, access conditions, and compatibility with the railway statistical framework.
Eurostat also presented its work on final energy consumption (FEC) in rail transport, which included a breakdown by energy source and by rail transport domain (high-speed rail, conventional rail, metro, and tram systems), as well as the possibility of linking this data to indicators of sector performance.
From a European policy perspective, the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) highlighted several developments that should be closely monitored, notably the May 2026 Passenger Package and the upcoming revision of the Rail Market Monitoring (RMMS) Regulation. This revision aims to reduce duplicate data requests, improve consistency between statistical databases, and improve the accuracy of reporting.
ERA then presented an overview of its statistical activities, covering railway safety, interoperability, studies, and public factsheets, as well as new priorities such as the climate, energy, rolling stock, and linked data. In the field of railway safety, Eurostat confirmed that it relies on ERA data to publish European statistics on railway accidents, accidents involving dangerous goods, casualties, and railway suicides, in order to avoid duplicate reporting.
Finally, UIC presented recent passenger and freight traffic trends, ongoing methodological work, and persistent challenges related to data comparability. UIC highlighted the ongoing work on methodologies to measure the resilience of railway systems, improve definitions and measurement methods for train punctuality, and enhance high-speed rail statistics. Differences in network scope was identified as one of the main comparability challenges, as can they affect the comparability of statistics, as well as lead to the discrepancies observed in mirror checks due to the differences in consignment notes.
For further information, the meeting documents can be downloaded from the extranet.
