A full 7 out of 10 people have travelled by train in the last year. This is shown in the Swedish Transport Agency's new market survey "Travellers' Views on the Railway Market 2025":
– This is the highest level we have measured so far in these surveys. The railway continues to attract travellers, says Jonathan Sundin, investigator at the Swedish Transport Agency.
The Swedish Transport Agency regularly conducts market surveys to get an up-to-date picture of how travellers perceive train travel. The survey is based on a digital survey study where 2,679 people answered questions about their travel habits and their opinions on train travel.
Many travel – but less often
Unsurprisingly, the highest proportion of travellers is found in Stockholm, where a full 87 percent have travelled by train in the past year. This can be compared to Norrbotten and Västerbotten, where the corresponding proportion is 48 percent.
The vast majority of people travel by train relatively infrequently, this applies particularly to longer journeys. In the 2019 survey, 8 percent stated that they travelled by long-distance train several times a month or more. In this survey, this proportion has fallen to 3 percent:
–The results show that the changed travel patterns we already saw in last year's survey still persist. We are therefore seeing less frequent travel. This could indicate that the changed travel patterns in the wake of the pandemic have partly become permanent, says Jonathan Sundin.
Important regarding price and punctuality
Nearly three out of four have a positive overall impression of travelling by train. This proportion is stable over time. The staff working on board, along with on-board safety and traffic safety, receive the most positive reviews.
At the other end of the spectrum are two areas that stand out – punctuality and ticket price. Both are deemed very important, but are perceived by many to function poorly. By focusing on these aspects, the railway can strengthen its position among today's travellers, but also create opportunities to attract new travellers.
– Overall, we see that it's the basic aspects of the journey itself that are most important to train passengers: that the train is on time, that it is safe and secure onboard, says Jonathan Sundin.
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According to the press release.
