PRIME report, an analysis of Europe's railways

Created in 2013 by the European Commission, PRIME is a body for cooperation between infrastructure managers (IMs) and the Commission, with a view to building a single railway area. Through their actions, they contribute, at their own level, to the development of future regulations for the rail sector.  

The central idea of PRIME is to give infrastructure managers, who are natural monopolies, the opportunity to learn from each other. 

PRIME has 37 members, including the main European IMs including Switzerland and Norway, and 4 European rail infrastructure industry associations which participate as observers. The platform is co-chaired by Kristian Schmidt, Director of Land Transport at DG Move, representing the European Commission, and Alain Quinet, Executive managing director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at SNCF Réseau, representing the European IMs.  

In its annual report, PRIME presents key figures and information on the safety, performance, revenue and expenditure of Europe's rail infrastructure managers. Measured and shared data can meet the needs of a large number of railway experts and policy-makers. They demonstrate to stakeholders that the rail industry is working to improve its service offering. 

An unprecedented 21 infrastructure managers took part in this new edition. Compared with previous editions, this report includes a more comprehensive set of data, fewer discrepant figures and a new performance indicator linked to sustainable development.  

COVID-19, war in Ukraine...: what impact? 

The 7^th PRIME report presents a complete picture of the various events that have had an impact on the rail industry over the last 5 years. It looks back at the travel restrictions associated with the COVID epidemic that occurred between 2020 and 2022, followed by a recovery in rail activity that has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, with some infrastructure managers even exceeding their 2019 figures.  

However, European data shows that passenger numbers have not fully recovered. Among the various explanations are changes in mobility patterns, such as the increase in teleworking and current health concerns.  

While goods train activity was less affected by the pandemic overall, a notable decline was seen in the Baltic States during this period. This trend, already underway, accelerated after the start of Russia's war against Ukraine.  

Inflation moderates investment growth 

Combined with economic challenges such as soaring inflation rates, these events have had a profound impact on the rail industry. 

Investment in rail infrastructure is essential to maintain high standards and improve rail performance. While operating costs remained relatively stable, capital expenditure rose by almost 10%. Although this spending increased nominally, its impact was moderated by inflationary pressures affecting essential materials such as steel and energy. 

Trains are still seen as a safe and environmentally-friendly mode of transport  

Despite these challenges, rail transport continues to maintain its reputation as one of the greenest and safest modes of transport. Infrastructure managers are actively working to make further progress in these areas. In terms of the sector's sensitivity to sustainable development, the proportion of electric trains has increased by an average of 2%. Significant improvements have been made to safety measures, with an average reduction of 7% in the number of accidents.  

Read the full report :

2021 PRIME Report 

The 6th PRIME report, published in 2023, presents the pre- and post-Covid trends from 2017 to 2021. In particular, the report points to a correlation between traffic levels and punctuality: passenger punctuality reached a record 95% in 2020 even though traffic levels were very low. When these resumed in 2021, punctuality fell by 2 points. The report also describes an increase in the resources devoted to rail networks, particularly in terms of renewal and investment, in order to achieve the objectives set by the European Union in terms of ecological transition. 

Full 2021 benchmarking report 

2020 PRIME report 

The 5th PRIME report covers data for 2020 submitted to the platform by the 19 contributing infrastructure managers (IMs). This is the first study to measure the effects of the health crisis on the performance of the rail sector. Presented over the 2016-2020 period in order to assess evolution, the indicators make it possible to identify the major European trends and to assess the evolution of SNCF Réseau's own performance. 

Full 2020 benchmarking report 

2019 PRIME report 

The resources that SNCF Réseau devotes to the network are at a level close to that of other infrastructure managers, with CAPEX and OPEX remaining slightly lower however. The company's performance reflects its strategic priorities. 

Full 2019 benchmarking report 

2018 PRIME report 

The PRIME report presents the main results for 2018, as well as changes in indicators since 2012. As far as SNCF Réseau is concerned, there are two main lessons to be learned: its operating costs are slightly lower than the European average and, since 2012, the national company's performance has been among the best on the continent in terms of its commitment to safety.  

Full 2018 benchmarking report 

2017 PRIME report 

The 2017 report, published in May 2019, tracks around fifty indicators that are consistent across all IMs, and will eventually converge on a priority punctuality target. To strengthen this comparative analysis, the IMs are continuing their work to make it easier to compare data on all aspects of the network, including costs, quality of service and ridership. 

Full 2017 benchmarking report