The rail freight transportation market share in Europe is expected to increase by USD 5.29 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market’s growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 1.36%.
This rail freight transportation market in Europe research report provides valuable insights on the post COVID-19 impact on the market, which will help companies evaluate their business approaches. Furthermore, this report extensively covers rail freight transportation market in Europe segmentations by area (international and domestic) and geography (Germany, Poland, France, Italy, and Rest of Europe). The rail freight transportation market in Europe report also offers information on several market vendors, including Baltic Rail AS, BLS Ltd, DB Schenker, Deutsche Bahn AG, Direct Rail Services Ltd, Freightliner Group Ltd, GETLinK SE, Globalink Logistics DWC LLC, Harsco Corp, Hupac Group, LinEAS SA, NTU and Transalex Network GmbH, PKP CARGO INTERNATIONAL Group, Rhenus SE and Co. KG, SBB Cargo International AG, SNCF Group, THE BOUYGUES GROUP, The CTL Logistics Group, RheinCargo GmbH and Co. KG, and SNTFM CFR Marfa S.A among others.
What will the Rail Freight Transportation Market Size in Europe be During the Forecast Period?

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Rail Freight Transportation Market in Europe: Key Drivers, Trends, and Challenges
The increasing investments in the market is notably driving the rail freight transportation market growth in Europe, although factors such as growing competition from alternate freight services may impede the market growth. Our research analysts have studied the historical data and deduced the key market drivers and the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the rail freight transportation industry in Europe. The holistic analysis of the drivers will help in deducing end goals and refining marketing strategies to gain a competitive edge.
Key Rail Freight Transportation Market in Europe Driver
- The increasing investments in the market is one of the key drivers supporting the Europe rail freight transportation market growth.
- Governments and market players are increasing their investments in the sector to upgrade the rail network and introduce fast large-capacity freight trains.
- The importance of a $6.38 billion investment in completing missing infrastructure links, improving the sustainability and efficiency of transportation, and boosting safety and interoperability was emphasized by the Transport Commissioner.
- Major rail players in Europe have asked for significant rail investment. For instance, at the European Railway Summit in Paris in August 2022, 33 railroad companies from 24 European nations signed a contract. The businesses, which include infrastructure owners as well as passenger and cargo carriers, agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions associated with trains by 30% from 2015 levels by 2030. This, in turn, will drive market growth in the coming years.
Key Rail Freight Transportation Market in Europe Trend
- The emergence of digitalization in rail freight services is one of the key Europe rail freight transportation market trends contributing to the market growth.
- Rail freight operators have been focusing on optimizing costs, delivering quality services, and improving revenue via digital transformation. Therefore, rail freight companies are introducing automation and digital techniques to streamline business and customer handling processes to enhance their market share.
- Connected rail solutions and smart connected devices generate a substantial amount of data, and the use of several risk-averting models and predictive mechanisms on this data can enhance business productivity.
- The integration of advanced technologies such as cloud computing, big data analytics, and augmented reality with connected rail solutions have changed the outlook of the rail freight industry.
- Vendors offering rail freight services are forming strategic partnerships with players offering digitalization services to promote joint developments, standardization, and digitalization of operational processes. Thus, digitization in rail freight services can positively impact the growth of the market during the forecast period.
Key Rail Freight Transportation Market in Europe Challenge
- Growing competition from alternate freight services is one of the key factors challenging the Europe rail freight transportation market growth.
- Road freight has several advantages over rail freight services, such as it ensures doorstep delivery of the cargo and offering flexibility in delivery timings.
- Rail transportation is comparatively slower than trucking. It is also not economically feasible to use rail transport for carrying goods over short distances.
- Airfreight offers a faster delivery option than rail freight. The cost of shipping goods through ocean freight is relatively lesser than rail freight.
- Countries in Europe are investing in developing road and ocean infrastructure, such as ports, to aid the growth of road and ocean freight services. Thus, growing competition from alternate freight services can challenge the growth of the market during the forecast period.
This rail freight transportation market in Europe analysis report also provides detailed information on other upcoming trends and challenges that will have a far-reaching effect on the market growth. The actionable insights on the trends and challenges will help companies evaluate and develop growth strategies for 2022-2026.
Parent Market Analysis
Technavio categorizes rail freight transportation in Europe as a part of the global railroads market. Our research report has extensively covered external factors influencing the parent market growth potential in the coming years, which will determine the levels of growth of the rail freight transportation market in Europe during the forecast period.
Who are the Major Rail Freight Transportation Market Vendors in Europe?
The report analyzes the market’s competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including:
- Baltic Rail AS
- BLS Ltd
- DB Schenker
- Deutsche Bahn AG
- Direct Rail Services Ltd
- Freightliner Group Ltd
- GETLinK SE
- Globalink Logistics DWC LLC
- Harsco Corp
- Hupac Group
- LinEAS SA
- NTU and Transalex Network GmbH
- PKP CARGO INTERNATIONAL Group
- Rhenus SE and Co. KG
- SBB Cargo International AG
- SNCF Group
- THE BOUYGUES GROUP
- The CTL Logistics Group
- RheinCargo GmbH and Co. KG
- SNTFM CFR Marfa S.A
This statistical study of the rail freight transportation market in Europe encompasses successful business strategies deployed by the key vendors. The rail freight transportation market in Europe is fragmented and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market.
Product Insights and News
- sbbcargo-international.com - Under the unified segment, the company offers rail freight transportation such as combined transport, conventional block trains, and single wagonload transports.
- sbbcargo-international.com - The company offers rail freight transportation with international cargos and individual wagon and block train services between all the countries in Western and Eastern Europe as well as beyond the European Union.
To make the most of the opportunities and recover from post COVID-19 impact, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.
The rail freight transportation market in Europe forecast report offers in-depth insights into key vendor profiles. The profiles include information on the production, sustainability, and prospects of the leading companies.
Rail Freight Transportation Market in Europe Value Chain Analysis
Our report provides extensive information on the value chain analysis for the rail freight transportation market in Europe, which vendors can leverage to gain a competitive advantage during the forecast period. The end-to-end understanding of the value chain is essential in profit margin optimization and evaluation of business strategies. The data available in our value chain analysis segment can help vendors drive costs and enhance customer services during the forecast period.
What are the Revenue-generating Area Segments in the Rail Freight Transportation Market in Europe?

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The rail freight transportation market share growth in Europe by the international segment will be significant during the forecast period. An examination of the freight train handover procedures at three specific border crossings was part of the project's initial phase. This resulted in the development of ideas and suggestions for improving operating practices in cross-border regions, with a focus on cross-border operations and issues with driver language and train characteristics. Such initiatives for shipping products will drive the growth of the international segment during the forecast period.
This report provides an accurate prediction of the contribution of all the segments to the growth of the rail freight transportation market size in Europe and actionable market insights on post COVID-19 impact on each segment.
Rail Freight Transportation Market Scope in Europe
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Report Coverage
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Details
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Page number
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120
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Base year
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2021
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Forecast period
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2022-2026
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Growth momentum & CAGR
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Accelerate at a CAGR of 1.36%
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Market growth 2022-2026
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$ 5.29 billion
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Market structure
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Fragmented
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YoY growth (%)
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0.8
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Competitive landscape
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Leading companies, Competitive strategies, Consumer engagement scope
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Key companies profiled
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Baltic Rail AS, BLS Ltd, DB Schenker, Deutsche Bahn AG, Direct Rail Services Ltd, Freightliner Group Ltd, GETLinK SE, Globalink Logistics DWC LLC, Harsco Corp, Hupac Group, LinEAS SA, NTU and Transalex Network GmbH, PKP CARGO inTERNATIONAL Group, Rhenus SE and Co. KG, SBB Cargo international AG, SNCF Group, THE BOUYGUES GROUP, The CTL Logistics Group, RheinCargo GmbH and Co. KG, and SNTFM CFR Marfa S.A
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Market dynamics
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Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period.
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Customization purview
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If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.
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What are the Key Data Covered in this Rail Freight Transportation Market in Europe Report?
- CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026
- Detailed information on factors that will drive rail freight transportation market growth in Europe during the next five years
- Precise estimation of the rail freight transportation market size in Europe and its contribution to the parent market
- Accurate predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior
- The growth of the rail freight transportation industry in Europe across Germany, Poland, France, Italy, and Rest of Europe
- A thorough analysis of the market’s competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors
- Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of rail freight transportation market in Europe
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Research Framework
Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The analysts have presented the various facets of the market with a particular focus on identifying the key industry influencers. The data thus presented is comprehensive, reliable, and the result of extensive research, both primary and secondary.
INFORMATION SOURCES
Primary sources
- Manufacturers and suppliers
- Channel partners
- Industry experts
- Strategic decision makers
Secondary sources
- Industry journals and periodicals
- Government data
- Financial reports of key industry players
- Historical data
- Press releases
DATA ANALYSIS
Data Synthesis
- Collation of data
- Estimation of key figures
- Analysis of derived insights
Data Validation
- Triangulation with data models
- Reference against proprietary databases
- Corroboration with industry experts
REPORT WRITING
Qualitative
- Market drivers
- Market challenges
- Market trends
- Five forces analysis
Quantitative
- Market size and forecast
- Market segmentation
- Geographical insights
- Competitive landscape