Two rails, a completely different world: what sets conventional and high-speed lines apart

Rail freight traffic on Austria’s network reached 96.2 million tonnes in 2025, up 1.8% year on year, according to Statistics Austria. Domestic transport performance increased by 2.6% to 21.5 billion tonne-kilometres.

SCI Verkehr expects both new-build and after-sales business for multiple units to expand through 2030. In Europe, cost pressure is shifting more spending towards maintenance, modernisation and battery-electric fleets.

The study reviews flagship intercity connections in 13 European countries, offering a rare cross-border view of how speed, pricing models and passenger affordability interact.