Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Two train stations in the Netherlands - Utrecht Centraal and Amsterdam Centraal - have nabbed places in the top 10 of the 2023 European Railway Station Index, making them some of the best stations in the continent!
How do you like your station? With a physical ticket office, we should imagine, and a variety of tickets on sale. Add to that short waiting times for passengers, punctual trains, visible in-station information, wheelchair accessibility and - of course - access to the internet - and that’s what we’d call an ideal station.
It’s factors like these that the Consumer Choice Center (CCC), a consumer advocacy group, looks at each year to compile its ranking of the best stations in Europe, focusing on the 50 with the biggest passenger volumes.
The 2023 ranking was topped by Zurich HB in Switzerland, Vienna Hbf in Austria, and Berlin Hbf in Germany, but one Dutch station did make its way into the top five: the most important railway hub of the country, Utrecht Centraal! As one of the top five stations, Utrecht Centraal was praised for offering passengers the best all-round experience on their journeys.
But Utrecht wasn’t alone in putting on a good show in the ranking; Amsterdam also managed to scrape a top 10 spot with Amsterdam Centraal ranking eighth overall. Due to the ranking’s focus on bigger stations by passenger volume, these were the only two Dutch stations that were featured - but they have done the Netherlands proud.
Overall, the CCC reported that passenger numbers are quickly rising, which is putting pressure on transportation and causing more severe train delays and longer waiting times. Points declined across the board, mostly due to delays and a declining number of shops, restaurants and other amenities in railway stations.
According to the CCC, these are the 10 best stations in Europe in 2023:
To see the full ranking, and a more detailed breakdown of the scoring system, visit the Consumer Choice Center website.