Editing Transport in Europe (section)

==Rail transport==
{{Main|Rail transport in Europe}}
[[File:Etr500.JPG|thumb|An [[ETR 500]] train running on the [[Florence–Rome high-speed railway|Florence–Rome high-speed line]] near [[Arezzo]], the first high-speed railway opened in Europe<ref>{{Cite web |title=Special report: A European high-speed rail network |url=https://op.europa.eu/webpub/eca/special-reports/high-speed-rail-19-2018/en/ |access-date=22 July 2023 |website=op.europa.eu |language=en-GB}}</ref>]]

Powered rail transport began in England in the early 19th century with the invention of the speed train. The modern European rail network spans almost the entire continent, with the exception of [[Andorra]], [[Rail transport in Cyprus|Cyprus]], [[Rail transport in Iceland|Iceland]], [[Malta]], and [[San Marino]]. It provides movement of passengers and freight. There are significant [[high-speed rail in Europe|high-speed rail]] passenger networks, such as the [[TGV]] in [[Rail transport in France|France]] and the [[high-speed rail in Spain|LAV]] in [[Rail transport in Spain|Spain]]. The [[Channel Tunnel]] connects the [[Rail transport in Great Britain|United Kingdom]] with France and thus the whole of the European rail system, and it was called one of the seven wonders of the modern world by the [[American Society of Civil Engineers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asce.org/history/seven_wonders.cfm |title=Seven wonders of the modern world |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100402072318/http://www.asce.org/history/seven_wonders.cfm |archive-date=2010-04-02}}</ref> The longest railway tunnel in the world, the [[Gotthard Base Tunnel]], crosses the [[Alps]] in [[Rail transport in Switzerland|Switzerland]].

Various method of [[rail electrification]] are used as well as much unelectrified track. [[Multi-system (rail)|Multi system]] locomotives and [[Electric multiple unit|EMUs]] allow for cross-border services. [[Standard gauge]] is widespread in Central and Western Europe, [[Russian gauge]] predominates in parts of Eastern Europe, and mainline services on the [[Iberian Peninsula]] and the island of [[Ireland (island)|Ireland]] use the rarer [[Iberian gauge]] and [[Irish gauge]], respectively. In mountainous areas, [[narrow-gauge railway]]s are common. The [[European Rail Traffic Management System]] is an EU initiative to create a Europe-wide standard for train signalling.

Rail infrastructure, freight transport and passenger services are provided by a combination of local and national governments and private companies. Passenger ticketing varies from country to country and service to service. The [[Eurail Pass]], a rail pass for 18 European countries, is available only for persons who do not live in Europe, [[Morocco]], [[Algeria]] or [[Tunisia]]. [[Interrail]] passes allow multi-journey travel around Europe for people living in Europe and surrounding countries.

[[Rail transport in Europe]] has diverse technological standards, operating concepts, and infrastructures. Common features are the widespread use of [[Standard-gauge railway|standard-gauge rail]], high operational safety and a high proportion of [[railway electrification|electrification]]. Electrified railway networks in [[Europe]] operate at many different voltages, both [[alternating current|AC]] and [[direct current|DC]], varying from 750 to 25,000 [[volt]]s, and [[railway signalling|signaling systems]] vary from country to country, complicating cross-border traffic.

The [[European Union]] (EU) aims to make cross-border operations easier as well as to introduce competition to national rail networks. EU member states were empowered to separate the provision of transport services and the management of the infrastructure by the [[Single European Railway Directive 2012]]. Usually, national [[railway company|railway companies]] were split into separate divisions or independent companies for infrastructure, passenger and freight operations. The passenger operations may be further divided into long-distance and regional services, because regional services often operate under [[public service obligation]]s (which maintain services which are not economically interesting to private companies but nonetheless produce societal benefit), while long-distance services usually operate without subsidies.{{cn|date=November 2024}}
[[File:Ablaña narrow gauge train station.jpg|alt=A narrow-gauge train at a station in Spain|thumb|A narrow-gauge train at a station in Spain]]

Across the EU, passenger rail transport saw a 50% increase between 2021 and 2022, with the 2022 passenger-kilometers figure being slightly under that of 2019 (i.e. before the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Railway passenger transport statistics - quarterly and annual data |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Railway_passenger_transport_statistics_-_quarterly_and_annual_data#:~:text=Overall,%20rail%20passenger%20transport%20increased,levels%20observed%20before%20the%20pandemic. |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=ec.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> The trend is expected to continue and rapid investments in European Union railways are under way.<ref>{{cite web | last=McClanahan | first=Paige | title=In Europe, a Rail Renaissance is Underway | website=The New York Times | date=2024-01-04 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/04/travel/europe-new-trains.html | access-date=2024-01-13| archive-url=https://archive.today/20240109010354/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/04/travel/europe-new-trains.html| archive-date=2024-01-09}}</ref>

[[Rail transport in Switzerland|Switzerland]] is the European leader in [[Units of measurement in transportation#Passenger-distance|kilometres traveled by rail]] per inhabitant and year, followed by [[Rail transport in Austria|Austria]] and [[Rail transport in France|France]] among EU countries.<ref name=Statista>{{cite web |url=https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1030765/umfrage/bahnkilometer-pro-einwohner-in-ausgewaehlten-laendern-europas/ |title=Zurückgelegte Strecke per Bahn in ausgewählten Ländern Europas im Jahr 2019 und 2022 [Distance traveled by rail in selected European countries in 2019 and 2022] |publisher=[[Statista]] |date=2022-04-06 |access-date=2022-11-23 |language=de}}</ref> Switzerland was also ranked first among national European rail systems in the 2017 European Railway Performance Index, followed by [[Rail transport in Denmark|Denmark]], [[Rail transport in Finland|Finland]] and [[Rail transport in Germany|Germany]].<ref name="2017 perf index">{{cite web |url=https://www.bcg.com/en-ch/publications/2017/transportation-travel-tourism-2017-european-railway-performance-index.aspx  |title=the 2017 European Railway Performance Index |date=8 January 2021 |publisher=Boston Consulting Group}}</ref>

Nearly all European countries have operational [[rail transport|railway lines]], the only exceptions being [[Rail transport in Iceland|Iceland]], [[Transport in Cyprus#Rail|Cyprus]] and the [[European microstates|microstates]] of [[Rail transport in Andorra|Andorra]] (which never had one) and [[Rail transport in Malta|Malta]] and [[Rail transport in San Marino|San Marino]] (whose single railway lines were either entirely or mostly dismantled). [[Rail transport in Russia|Russia]], Germany and France have the [[List of countries by rail transport network size|longest railway networks]] in Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/264657/ranking-of-the-top-20-countries-by-length-of-railroad-network/ |publisher=[[Statista]] |title=Length of railroad network in selected countries around the world in 2021  |date=2021 |access-date=2024-12-15}}</ref> Apart from the islands of [[Rail transport in Great Britain|Great Britain]], [[Rail transport in Ireland|Ireland]] and Denmark, operational island railways are also present on [[Chemins de fer de la Corse|Corsica]], [[Rail transport in the Isle of Man|Isle of Man]], [[Mallorca rail network|Mallorca]], [[Railways in Sardinia|Sardinia]], [[Railway network of Sicily|Sicily]] and [[Wangerooge Island Railway|Wangerooge]].

[[Public transport timetable#Europe|Public transport timetables]], including rail, are amended yearly, usually on the second Sunday of December and June, respectively. The [[Thomas Cook European Timetable|European Rail Timetable]] publishes rail schedules for all European countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.europeanrailtimetable.eu/ |title=European Rail Timetable |access-date=2024-11-30}}</ref>

[[Eurail]] and [[Interrail]] are both [[rail pass]]es for international rail travel in Europe for tourists.

=== Rapid transit ===
{{Main|List of metro systems in Europe}}
[[File:Farringdon station MMB 22 S-Stock.jpg|thumb|A sub-surface [[Metropolitan line (London Underground)|Metropolitan line]] train ([[London Underground S7 and S8 Stock|S8 Stock]]) at {{tubestation|Farringdon}} of the [[London Underground]].]]
Many [[lists of cities in Europe|cities]] across Europe have a [[rapid transit|rapid transit system]], commonly referred to as a metro, which is an electric railway. The world's first underground railway, the Metropolitan Railway, was opened in London in 1863. It is now part of London's rapid transit system that referred to as the [[London Underground]], the longest such system in Europe. After London, the largest European metro systems by track length are in [[Moscow Metro|Moscow]], [[Madrid Metro|Madrid]] and [[Paris Métro|Paris]].