Rail freight transport: growth of 6.8 % between 2005 and 2006 in EU-25 - Issue number 3/2009 - Products Statistics in Focus

The total performance of rail freight transport in the EU-25 was at 419 billion tkm in 2006, representing a growth of 6.8% compared to 2005. In absolute terms, the main growth between 2005 and 2006 was registered in Germany (+ 11.6 billion tkm), while Latvia recorded the largest absolute decrease (- 2.9 billion tkm). The average weight of goods loaded onto trains in the EU-25 was estimated at 516 tonnes in 2006. This average was however above 1 400 tonnes in three Baltic countries. The highest shares of international freight transport in the total freight transport were observed in Estonia (94%) and in Latvia (87%). This share was between 50% and 60% for Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia and Greece, whereas it was equal to 40% for the EU-25 as a whole. As far as rail transport of goods is concerned, products belonging to "Machinery, transport equipment, manufactured and miscellaneous goods" were by far the most forwarded in 2006 in the EU-25 Member States. As regards intermodal transport units, and more specifically rail transport by containers and swap bodies, the average distance performed has decreased between 2005 and 2006 within the EU-25 from 412 km to 407 km.