Rail traffic can be broken down into passenger rail travel and cargo rail transport. Around the world railway activities and infrastructure are a range of public and private operations as well as mixed systems, depending on location and the aspect of the rail sector. One of the boldest projects currently underway is being undertaken by China, which has become one of the largest investors in rail in in recent years, both at home and abroad. The country intends to invest in almost 70 countries through its Belt and Road Initiative, which inlcudes large-scale investment in rail. In 2022, China had nearly a million freight trains in operation, while the number of train passengers reached 2.2 billion people. The largest passenger rail provider, however, can be found in India. Indian Railways holds an 11 percent market share globally, the largest worldwide.
Volume of rail freight transported in the United States from 2002 to 2023 (in billion tonne-kilometers)
Further details: Visit original statistic Volume of rail freight transported in the United States from 2002 to 2023 (in billion tonne-kilometers)
While the crises of recent years affected the global rail industry severely through plummeting passenger numbers, supply chain disruptions, and rising energy prices, the rail sector is back on a path towards growth. Global freight transport by rail is expected to grow in the coming years, as are global rail passenger numbers. This is supported by investment in expanding rail infrastructure in many countries around the world, notably in China and also in the United States.
Global rail passengersMarket shares of leading passenger rail providers worldwide 2022
Further details: Visit original statistic Market shares of leading passenger rail providers worldwide 2022
Rail passenger numbers have recovered in many parts of the world following the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing numbers of travellers are choosing to travel by train whether for convenience or due to increased environmental awareness. Especially in the long-distance segment, this is being supported by the expansion of high-speed rail networks, which make inter-city travel faster and the expansion of night train offerings, which allow passengers to travel overnight.
Global passenger rail demandWorld's fastest trains in 2022, ranked by record speed (in kilometers per hour)
Further details: Visit original statistic World's fastest trains in 2022, ranked by record speed (in kilometers per hour)
The global high-speed ail network has been expanding rapidly in recent years, largely driven by China, which operates nearly 44,000 kilometers of high-speed rail network. In Europe, the high-speed rail network has grown to around 12,000 kilometeres. Meanwhile the United States, after decades of primarily focusing on freight rail, has begun building new high-speed rail lines. High-speed trains are expected to be able to travel at least 200 km/h on mixed and 250km/h on dedicated networks.
The global high-speed rail networkUnion Pacific Railroad's freight revenue from FY 2011 to FY 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)*
Further details: Visit original statistic Union Pacific Railroad's freight revenue from FY 2011 to FY 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)*
The largest companies in the rail sector are rail freight operators, which often also own and run the railway infrastructure on which they transport goods. This is the case for the leading rail company worldwide, the U.S.-based freight operator Union Pacific, which owns large swathes of the U.S. rail network. It’s closest competitor is the Canadian National Railway. Among passenger rail operators, meanwhile, Indian Railways hold the largest market share globally.
Leading rail companies
The rail transport category provides information on passenger and cargo railroads. Within this sector, Statista provides information about the business activities of freight forwarders as well as rail and metro operators. Data on a global and regional scale is available. Moreover, information on passenger rail traffic and safety is available as well. All of the information is complemented by data on companies in the rail sector.
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