Source: International Union of Railways, http://www.uic.asso.fr
World Rail Passenger Traffic, 1980-2010Passengers rail transportation demand has not grown much over the
last 20 years, with most of the growth attributed to Asia. From the
1980s up to the early 2000s there was limited change in the
utilization level of most national passenger rail transport
systems. This is mainly attributable to intense competition from
both road (average distances
) and air (long distance) transportation. For instance, its passengers function
in North America is residual while Western Europe has focused on the
development of high speed passengers rail systems. This has
permitted European rail to maintain its general level of
utilization.
