The European Federation for Transport and the Environment unveils its ranking of railway companies in Europe this Monday, December 9.
Trenitalia trains get the best rating.
Neither SNCF nor Ouigo, the two French representatives, managed to get on the podium.
Price, punctuality, speed… 27 railway companies (new window)circulating in 21 European countries, were scrutinized by the European Federation for Transport and the Environment (new window) (Transport & Environment). According to these criteria, a ranking was revealed this Monday, December 9. Trenitalia wins the title of “best railway company in Europe”while the SNCF climbs into the top 5 at the last minute. The Eurostar is dead last.
The lack of bicycle policy at the SNCF singled out
In detail, the Italian public company obtains a score of 7.7 out of 10, notably thanks to “discounts and special rates” offered (10/10), its night train offering (9/10) and its “ease of booking” (8.3/10). The podium is completed by the Swiss SBB and by RegioJet which operates in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
SNCF, which was only evaluated on its TGVs and not its TERs, ranks fifth, “notably thanks to a good score on the traveler experience and its ease of booking”. If the experts therefore appreciated the restaurant cars and the speed of the journeys, the lack of “reliability” and “bicycle policy” lower the rating (6.6/10).
The other French company, Ouigo, is in 25th place (5.2/10). Despite its attractive prices, the SNCF's low-cost service obtains zero points in two categories: night trains and the bicycle policy. Cyclists must dismantle their bike and store it in a cover for transport, as well as pay a surcharge of five euros. A solution considered impractical according to this study.
Soon a single website for booking train tickets in Europe?
Finally, the Eurostar brings up the rear, “weighed down by its high prices”, “nearly twice as expensive as the average price per kilometer found in Europe”. Even the reductions applied and the good refund policy are therefore not sufficient for the line leading to London, regularly affected by delays or cancellations of trains.
The purpose of this ranking? “Encourage the lowest ranked operators to draw inspiration from the best practices of leaders”explains the European Federation in a press release. “This ranking reveals a very contrasting landscape, particularly in terms of the prices charged. Only six operators obtain a very good score on the criterion of ticket prices. However, this is the crux of the matter when it comes to attracting travelers”adds Victor Thévenet, author of the study.
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Transport & Environment also encourages the European Union to legislate to improve the quality of its rail network, because the price of tickets does not depend only on the companies, but also on VAT and rail tolls, a fee paid to the States.
Last summer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a single reservation system. All train tickets could thus be purchased on the same website. Good news according to Victor Thévenet: “This will enable cross-border bookings with just one click. This regulation has the potential to make rail more reliable and easier to use. It is time for the Commission to show that these are not empty promises .”
