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Month: March 2021

Profit BG

Най-добрите железопътни гари в Европа за 2021 г.

Лондонската гара St Pancras загуби короната си на най-добрата жп гара в Европа от Leipzig Hauptbahnhof.

За да определят най-добрите влакови гари, изследователите проучват 51 от най-големите жп станции на Стария континент, като ги оценяват по фактори, като брой обслужвани вътрешни и международни дестинации, достъп до платформата и качество на заведенията за хранене.

На базата на тези данни е изготвена класацията, носеща името European Railway Station Index 2021, посочва Daily Mail.

Виенската Hauptbahnhof заема втората позиция, St Pancras е на трето място, а Amsterdam Centraal на четвърто.

Германия доминира сред държавите в класацията, като три гари, разположени на нейна територия, намират място в Топ 10.

Организацията, която стои зад класацията – Consumer Choice Center, посочва, че размерът на железопътната гара „не означава непременно повече удобство или по-добра инфраструктура“.

„Някои от най-големите гари, като Atocha в Мадрид или Chatelet-Les Halles в Париж, дори не попадат в топ 10 по отношение на положителните преживявания на пътниците”, се казва в доклада.

Авторите му добавят: „Кризата с коронавируса значително ограничи свободата на пътуване в Европа и в световен мащаб. Пътуванията с влак сега са само спомен за повечето от нас.

Въпреки това, с напредването на ваксинациите, имаме всички основания да бъдем оптимисти за връщането на свободата ни да пътуваме това лято”.

Originally published here.

Two UK rail stations make top ten passenger friendly list in Europe

The Consumer Choice Center launched its second annual European Railway Station Index, highlighting the top 50 railway stations in Europe ranked by passenger-friendliness.

The index should be used to inform both consumers and administrators as to who is doing the best job accommodating passengers.

The top 5 railway stations according to the index are Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, Wien Hauptbahnhof, St. Pancras (last year’s winner moved a bit down which can also be explained by the limited Eurostar services), and Amsterdam Centraal and Moscow Kazansky.

Maria Chaplia, Research Manager at the Consumer Choice Center, said: “As consumers across Europe rush to book business trips and vacations post-COVID, our European Railway Index will come in handy.”

“Although travelling overall seems like a dream from the past now, there is light at the end of the tunnel. With the release of our annual index, we also want to remind consumers that train travel will become a thing again. High points were awarded to the stations that offered great destinations around the continent, but also a healthy mix of shops, restaurants, and conveniences found at the station. For this year’s index, we removed cleanliness, signage and strike days to make sure that our results are rigid and unbiased,” said Chaplia.

“Leipzig Hauptbahnhof in Leipzig, Germany leads the list of best railway stations in Europe. Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, the station offers the greatest number of domestic destinations and an array of shops and restaurants. Several different railway companies use Leipzig Hauptbahnhof which made it stand out in the top 5.

“The point system we developed for this index provides great insight into what railway stations you should consider using on your next trip, whether for holiday or work,” said Chaplia.

“In order to prevent a negative passenger experience and pick the optimal hubs for future trips, we examined Europe’s 50 largest railway stations (by passenger volume) and ranked them in terms of passenger experience, ranked according to a mix of factors ranging from location and transportation options to in-station experience and domestic and international connections,” added Chaplia.

Originally published here.

LIBRE CHOIX : LES CONSOMMATEURS ADULTES DOIVENT PRENDRE LEURS PROPRES DÉCISIONS

Le gouvernement ne veut que votre bien – et il vous le montre… en vous traitant comme un enfant et en vous empêchant de faire vos propres choix, même dans les plus petites choses.

Il ne se passe pas un jour sans qu’un militant de la santé publique ne vienne frapper à notre porte (bien qu’actuellement il s’agisse plutôt d’un courriel) pour nous expliquer quel produit devrait être interdit ou taxé.

Auparavant, il s’agissait principalement du tabac, en raison des risques évidents pour la santé associés au tabagisme. Mais avec l’augmentation du nombre de consommateurs qui se tournent vers des alternatives plus saines comme le vapotage, d’autres produits sont devenus la cible des moralistes de la santé.

Qu’il s’agisse d’alcool, de sucre, de graisse ou de viande, aucun vice n’est laissé de côté dans l’éternel effort visant à punir les consommateurs pour les choses qu’ils aiment.

Evidemment, je ne défends pas l’idée que ces aliments ne soient pas dépourvus d’inconvénients. Ce n’est un secret pour personne que toute consommation doit être modérée et que cette dernière est une norme subjective que chaque individu doit s’approprier.

« 54 000 écoliers obèses » était le slogan scandé par les politiciens irlandais qui ont fait pression pour une nouvelle taxe sur le sucre en 2017. Les opposants à cette mesure étaient également préoccupés par la santé des enfants… mais peut-être qu’ils comprenaient qu’augmenter le prix du Coca-Cola n’allait pas résoudre le profond problème de cette maladie.

Des mesures absurdes

La mesure irlandaise s’est alignée sur l’augmentation française de la taxe sur les boissons gazeuses, il y a quelques années. Le président de l’époque, Nicolas Sarkozy, avait introduit cette mesure, qui a ensuite continué à être exploitée pour augmenter les recettes de l’Etat. La taxe initiale s’élevait à 7,53 € pour 100 litres de soda, soit 2,51 centimes pour une canette de 33 centilitres.

Depuis le 1er janvier 2021, la taxe est mesurée par quantité de sucre, donc entre 3,11 € par hectolitre pour un kilo de sucre et 24,34 € pour 15 kilos. Au-delà de 15 kilos, l’augmentation est de 2,07 € par kilo.

La situation est d’autant plus absurde que la France subventionne également le sucre par le biais de la politique agricole commune de l’Union européenne. Se voir demander de payer deux fois, une fois pour la subvention du sucre, et ensuite pour sa consommation, est probablement une ironie difficile à avaler pour les consommateurs français.

Lors d’une conférence du Fonds monétaire international l’année dernière, l’ancien candidat démocrate américain Michael Bloomberg a abordé la question des taxes sur les péchés « régressifs ». Il a déclaré :

« Certaines personnes pensent que taxer (la consommation) est une régression. Mais dans ce cas, oui, ça l’est ! C’est justement ce qui est bien, car le problème se situe chez les gens qui n’ont pas beaucoup d’argent et qui changeront ainsi leur comportement. »

Christine Lagarde, directrice générale et présidente du FMI, a rajouté un mot à la fin de la conférence :

« Il y a beaucoup d’experts fiscaux dans la salle… Et ils disent tous qu’il y a deux choses dans la vie qui sont absolument certaines. L’une est la mort, l’autre est la fiscalité. Donc votre idée est d’utiliser l’une pour reporter l’autre. »

« C’est exact. C’est tout à fait exact. C’est joliment formulé », a conclu Bloomberg.

Condescendance et paternalisme

On ne saurait être plus clair. Le principe de cette politique condescendante est le suivant : le consommateur pauvre est fondamentalement trop ignorant pour prendre des décisions concernant sa propre vie. Aveuglé par l’irrationalité de son esprit et ses pulsions instinctives, seule la bienveillance de la politique publique moderne peut le sortir de sa détresse. C’est littéralement la pensée de nos dirigeants actuels.

La vérité, cependant, est d’un tout autre genre.

Bien qu’ils ne soient pas particulièrement bruyants dans leur opposition aux taxes sur leurs soi-disant vices, les consommateurs s’expriment clairement lorsqu’il s’agit de prendre des décisions de tous les jours. Les gens veulent fumer ou vapoter, manger des aliments gras ou bio et boire du soda ou des jus de fruits… et les politiciens devraient commencer à accepter leurs décisions.

Ce sont tous des produits que nous devrions consommer avec modération et avec des informations transparentes en matière de santé, mais nous devrions cesser de pénaliser le citoyen pour l’exercice de son libre arbitre.

Nos Etats modernes semblent avoir créé un monstre bureaucratique qui s’est donné le rôle de tuteur venant nous taper sur les doigts lorsque nous regardons une boîte de biscuits du coin de l’œil.

Cette politique paternaliste dénote la déshumanisation qui régit les politiques publiques actuelles. Montrant un véritable mépris envers le libre arbitre des citoyens, les gouvernements pourraient un jour se retrouver avec une réponse de même ampleur.

Originally published here.

The fallacy of content quotas

I’ve become somewhat of a streaming junkie during this pandemic, following up on the criticism that my pop-culture knowledge is sub-optimal. Now subscribed to three services at once, I watch both popular movies and TV shows from the U.S. and niche local productions buried in the dark corners of Netflix. On these platforms, content curation is everything. The algorithm feeds me with matching shows and the search bar helps me identify titles most fitting for what I’m into.

Though I’m satisfied, some regulators are unhappy with the amount of local artistic content on these platforms. “In order to increase cultural diversity and promote European content, the new legislation proposes that 30% of content of TV channels and VOD platforms would have to be European,” said a European Parliament press release from 2018. But putting “Europe first” on Spotify and Netflix is problematic for a number of reasons.

On the one hand, legislators intervene with broadcasting companies’ freedom to pick their own content. At present,  they choose which content they deem most interesting and valuable for their customer base. It’s difficult to imagine that streaming services would find no value in making local content, given that they are competing with TV broadcasters who cater to this market. Added to that, calling these content quotas “supportive” of the cultural sector is a misnomer because it is unlikely actually to support local productions.

Take Netflix as a case study. American users have access to 100% of Netflix titles, which makes intuitive sense. However, through a mix of copyright rules that enable geo-blocking and content quotas, European Netflix subscribers get a rotten deal. Of all EU member states, Lithuania gets access to the largest share with 52% of titles. With only 11%, Portugal gets the worst experience for subscribers. The idea that content quotas will automatically boost local film production is utopian — it is just as likely that streaming services will reduce the overall available titles to match the quota without needing to spend additional funds.

Politically, the move is deeply un-European. These quotas – which also exist on national levels – have been introduced and reformed by mainstream political parties. Still, it’d hardly be controversial to claim that had Marine Le Pen suggested them, while having French flags in the background, we’d think very differently of this policy. It would be labelled nationalistic, and rightfully so.

For some reason, EU legislators escape this judgement because now it’s being executed on a continent-wide level. But on what basis could anyone in the European Union argue that consuming European audiovisual content is in any way preferable to a movie from South Africa or a song from Malaysia? Is this the European equivalent of supporting cultural diversity, supporting audiovisual access for our expat communities, and assisting content creators in developing nations?

Yes, the United States indeed dominates the streaming markets with its films and its music. The question is whether we — or any other country for that matter — is right in believing that boosting our cultural sector happens if we force broadcasters to favour our content by law. The EU is the most significant consumer region on the planet; if anything, it should be easier for our content providers to satisfy the need for local music and films.

Most of all, European legislation is all too often the domino that creates a chain reaction. Mexico is currently debating new rules that would require a national content quota of 15% (“content or video generated by an individual or corporation with a majority of funding of Mexican origin”). However, this initiative overlooks the fact mentioned above; that the EU is the largest consumer region in the world.

The synergies obtained from an economic bloc the size of the EU are not the same from an individual market. And even if the EU regulation allows the production from over 40 countries to be considered for the quota – the chain reaction amplifies the insidious effects of the legislation rather than promote the so-called cultural benefits. In the end, consumers will be left with less diversity of content as producers would reduce their catalogues only to comply with the regulation.

Content quotas reduce consumer streaming experience, they unfairly discriminate against foreign productions, and they do not achieve the goals they were set out to achieve. If we were empowered to rate public policies on an IMDb equivalent platform, this would get a 0.0/10.

Originally published here.

LONDON ST PANCRAS LOSES BEST TRAIN STATION TITLE TO LEIPZIG

The best train stations in Europe have been revealed – and London St Pancras has lost its title to Leipzig Hauptbahnhof in Germany.

The European Railway Station Index 2021 scores 51 of Europe’s biggest railway stations to come up with the ultimate ranking.

Looking at various factors which contribute towards a better customer experience, the Consumer Choice Center puts together the annual report.

While St Pancras was crowned the number one station in 2020, this year it has dropped two spots to third place.

Second after Leipzig was Vienna Hauptbahnhof, with Amsterdam Centraal and Moscow Kazansky joint fourth and the main stations in Germany’s Frankfurt and Munich coming joint fifth respectively.

Factors that determine stations’ positions include the number of domestic and international destinations served, platform access and the quality of dining options.

St Pancras lost out in part because of the pandemic, which resulted in widescale cutbacks to its Eurostar services.

The index authors commended Leipzig’s facilities for passengers.

“The station offers the greatest number of domestic destinations and an array of shops and restaurants,” reads the report.

“Several different railway companies use Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, which made it stand out in the top five.”

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, Magenta station in Paris came in last place, with the lowest score.

Other UK inclusions are Birmingham New Street (eighth), London Victoria and London Bridge (joint 11th), London Euston (12th), London Waterloo (17th) and London Liverpool Street (19th).

Originally published here.

10 najboljih željezničkih kolodvora u Europi za 2021. godinu

Da bi došli do popisa najboljih željezničkih kolodvora Consumer Choice Center proučavao je pedesetak najznačajnijih kolodvora na Starom kontinentu. Analiziralo se sve od kvalitete signalizacije i pristupu platformama do gastro ponude…

Glavni željeznički kolodvor u Leipzigu je proglašen najboljim kolodvorom u Europi u 2021. godini prema analizi takozvanog europskog indeksa željezničkih postaja koju je obradio Consumer Choice Center.

“Kolodvor nudi najveći broj domaćih destinacija, ali i lepezu trgovina i restorana. Nekoliko različitih željezničkih kompanija koriste Leipzig Hauptbahnohof i zato se našao na vrhu ljestvice,” pojašnjeno je u službenom priopćenju.

Njemački željeznički kolodvor s trona je svrgnuo londonski St. Pancras koji se ove godine našao tek na trećem mjestu ljestvice, dok je srebrna medalja dana glavnom kolodvoru u Beču.

Da bi došli do popisa najboljih željezničkih kolodvora Consumer Choice Center proučavao je pedesetak najznačajnijih kolodvora na Starom kontinentu. Analiziralo se sve od kvalitete signalizacije i pristupu platformama do gastro ponude.

Treba istaknuti velik kolodvor nije jamstvo i dobro organiziranog mjesta s moćnom infrastrukturom. Naprotiv, u prvih 10 najboljih željezničkih kolodvora nisu uvršteni giganti poput pariškog Gare du Norda ili madridske Atoche.

Četvrto mjesto ljestvice najboljih kolodvora podijelili su Amsterdam Centraal i moskovski Kazinski, a šesto mjesto glavni kolodvor u Frankfurtu i Munchenu. U 10 najboljih nalazi se tri njemačka predstavnika, dva britanska, dva ruska, te po jedan iz Austrije, Nizozemske i Italije.

10 najboljih željezničkih kolodvora prema europskom indeksu željezničkih postaja za 2021. godinu:
1. Glavni kolodvor Leipzig, Njemačka 
2. Glavni kolodvor Beč, Austrija 
3. St. Pancras, London, Velika Britanija
4. Amsterdam Centraal, Nizozemska
4. Kolodvor Kazansky, Moskva, Rusija
6. Glavni kolodvor Frankfurt, Njemačka 
6. Glavni kolodvor Munchen, Njemačka
8. Kolodvor Kursky, Moskva, Rusija
9. Milano Centrale, Italija
10. Birmingham New Street, Velika Britanija

Originally published here.

Finding innovative ways to improve European health

Some of the answers are in front of us…

When one of the Consumer Choice Center’s policy fellows, Nur Baysal recently published a blog post on senolytics on this page, I started to wonder about other alternative ways to improve health. COVID-19 has had many people take up worse habits in their daily lives, while others have used their spare time to pursue healthier diets and exercise routines.

Meanwhile, the European Union is following old adages in their pursuit of making the continent live longer. Sugar taxes are quickly approved and supported by the European Commission, tobacco control rules are applauded, and alcohol is targeted by new measures. The EU’s Beating Cancer Plan even eyes vaping as a threat to public health, which has very little support from the scientific community, but unfortunately, evidence-based policy-making is not integrated too much into the hearts of the Berlaymont building in Brussels. 

Their responses are stale and old-fashioned, while the world keeps turning and innovating. Senolytics is a high-tech approach to prevent ageing, but some of our older household goods lying around turn out to be comparably helpful to improve our health. 

To turn to a personal story: two years ago, I underwent surgery to remove my tonsils and to fix a disfiguration in my nose that had bothered me for years. Both surgeries went poorly, which led to a much longer recuperation time. I faced long and painful days in the hospital that I was only able to deal with due to a large amount of anti-inflammatory medications and painkillers. I have since gotten better, but a lasting effect of the drugs I’ve been giving is a more sensitive stomach. With constant acidic reflux, I need to be more careful about what I eat and reduce my stress levels not to worsen it—avoiding snacking as a part of this effort.

I’ve since discovered that chewing has had positive effects on avoiding some of the sugary alternatives that cause my stomach upsets. With sugar-free gum, I’m able to keep my mind off of the sugary or salty snacks in the kitchen. This 2011 study found that chewing gum reduces the desire for snacks by 10%, which makes a significant dent in my afternoon cravings for those foods that are unhealthy. On top of that, it improves my ability to focus, which is particularly useful during long Zoom call mornings or proofreading afternoons.

Chewing gum contains xylitol, a chemical compound categorised as “sugar alcohol”. It has fewer calories than sugar and does not raise blood sugar levels. On top of that, daily chewing xylitol gum reduces biofilm formation by 42%, which reduces bacteria in the mouth. Thus, chewing gum has become a kind of wellness routine, freeing me from craving crisps or downing a third espresso.

My friends around me have taken different routes. A mix of meat-only diets and cycling seems to work for one of my good friends, while my father has completely given up on meat but taken up an impressive 100 kilometres running routine. Balancing work, exercise, and diets is essential because while healthier lifestyles are important, they ought not to take over our lives or make us miserable because we feel like we need to give up on too much.

The government is preaching abstinence while individuals are finding solutions. We should celebrate the ingenuity of companies that allow us to find smart solutions for complicated problems. On top of that, we should follow scientific evidence and adapt our decision-making accordingly. If the last two decades have taught us anything, it is that we can’t legislate away obesity or medical problems with large-scale policy plans or bans.

Originally published here.

Le migliori stazioni d’Europa: Milano, Roma e Bologna nella top 10

Per il secondo anno consecutivo, il Consumer Choice Center ha stilato l’European Railway Station Index, cioè la classifica delle stazioni ferroviarie più apprezzate del Vecchio Continente. Nella graduatoria 2021 c’è una new entry al primo posto. E bene fanno anche le stazioni italiane

Migliori stazioni d’Europa. È quella di Lipsia, in Germania, la stazione ferroviaria più apprezzata d’Europa: a dirlo, la classifica 2021 dell’organizzazione Consumer Choice Center, che ha preso in esame le 51 stazioni più grandi del Vecchio Continente. Per stilare la graduatoria sono stati presi in esame diversi fattori, tra questi l’accessibilità dei binari; il numero di destinazioni nazionali e internazionali servite; la pulizia; l’affollamento; la disponibilità e il numero di ristoranti e negozi; la segnaletica. E persino i giorni di sciopero. Il massimo di punti possibili (mettendo insieme i punteggi relativi alle varie voci) è di 139.

Le migliori stazioni d’Europa: la medaglia d’oro del 2021

Come detto, la medaglia d’oro va alla stazione di Lipsia Centrale, in Sassonia, che totalizza 116 punti. Qui, prima dello scoppio della pandemia, transitavano più di 120 mila passeggeri al giorno. Il secondo posto spetta alla stazione di Vienna Centrale con 108 punti, mentre il vincitore dell’anno scorso, la stazione di St Pancras a Londra, scende in terza posizione. 

Le migliori stazioni d’Europa: le italiane

Nelle prime dieci posizioni si piazzano ben tre stazioni tedesche (Lipsia, Monaco e Francoforte) e le tre principali stazioni italiane: Milano Centrale (settima, era ottava l’anno scorso); Roma Termini (nona, era al quarto posto nella classifica 2020) e Bologna (decima, era 39esima). 

Molto buone anche le prestazioni delle altre italiane: Napoli Centralesale dalla 19esima posizione del 2020 al 13esimo posto; Torino Porta Nuova dalla 47esima posizione al 15esimo posto; Firenze Santa Maria Novella dalla 38esima posizione alla 18esima e Roma Tiburtina dalla 40esima posizione al 18° posto. 

Tra le ultime tre della classifica, le peggiori d’Europa, ci sono le stazioni Châtelet–Les Halles (Parigi); Norreport (Copenhagen) e Magenta Paris. 

“Si tornerà a viaggiare” 

Gli autori dello studio hanno sottolineato: “La crisi del coronavirus ha notevolmente limitato la libertà di viaggiare in Europa e nel mondo. I lunghi viaggi in treno sono diventati un ricordo per la maggior parte di noi. Tuttavia, con il numero di vaccinati in costante aumento, ci sono tutte le ragioni per essere ottimisti sul recupero della nostra libertà di viaggiare quest’estate”.

Le 10 migliori stazioni d’Europa

  • 1. Leipzig Hauptbahnhof – 116 punti
  • 2. Wien Hauptbahnhof, Vienna – 108
  • 3. St. Pancras, Londra – 106
  • 4. Amsterdam Centraal – 101
  • 4. Moscow Kazansky, Mosca – 101
  • 5. Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof, Francoforte sul Meno – 96
  • 5. München Hauptbahnhof, Monaco di Baviera – 96
  • 6. Moscow Kursky, Mosca – 95
  • 7. Milano Centrale – 93
  • 8. Birmingham New Street, Regno Unito – 91
  • 9. Roma Termini – 90
  • 10. Gare Montparnasse, Parigi – 86
  • 10. Bologna Centrale – 86

Originally published here.

Два железнодорожных вокзала Москвы вошли в число лучших вокзальных комплексов Европы

22 марта 2021 г Consumer Choice Center (CCC) опубликовал второй ежегодный индекс европейских железнодорожных вокзалов, в котором выделены 50 лучших железнодорожных вокзалов в Европе по степени удобства для пассажиров. Индекс следует использовать для информирования потребителей и администраторов о том, кто лучше всего справляется с размещением пассажиров. В топ-5 железнодорожных вокзалов по индексу входят Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, Wien Hauptbahnhof, St. Pancras (прошлогодний победитель сдвинулся немного вниз, что также можно объяснить ограниченными услугами Eurostar), а также Amsterdam Centraal и собственно Казанский вокзал. 

«Хотя сейчас путешествие в целом кажется мечтой из прошлого, в конце туннеля есть свет. С выпуском нашего годового индекса мы также хотим напомнить потребителям, что путешествия на поезде снова станут обычным явлением. Высокие баллы были присуждены станциям, предлагающим прекрасные направления по всему континенту, а также полезное сочетание магазинов, ресторанов и удобств, имеющихся на вокзале,» – сказала Мария Чапля, автор индекса. «Главный вокзал Лейпцига возглавляет список лучших железнодорожных вокзалов Европы. Вокзал предлагает наибольшее количество внутренних направлений, а также множество магазинов и ресторанов. Несколько разных железнодорожных компаний используют главный вокзал Лейпцига, что позволило ему выделиться в пятерке лучших. «Система баллов, которую мы разработали для этого индекса, дает хорошее представление о том, какие железнодорожные станции вам следует использовать в следующей поездке, будь то отпуск или работа», – сказала Чапля. «Чтобы избежать негативного впечатления пассажиров и выбрать оптимальные узлы для будущих поездок, мы изучили 50 крупнейших железнодорожных вокзалов Европы (по количеству пассажиров) и оценили их с точки зрения пассажирского опыта, ранжируя их в соответствии с сочетанием факторов, начиная от местоположения и вариантов транспортировки на станции, а также внутренние и международные рейсы », – добавила Чапля. 

Originally published here.

London St Pancras loses its crown as the best railway station in Europe to Leipzig – but Birmingham New Street breaks into the top 10

  • Researchers studied 51 of the biggest railway stations across Europe 
  • They scored them on factors including destinations served and dining options
  • From this data they drew up a ranking – the European Railway Station Index 2021 

London’s St Pancras station has lost its crown as the best railway station in Europe to Leipzig Hauptbahnhof.

Researchers looked at 51 of the biggest stations across Europe and scored them on factors including the number of domestic and international destinations served, platform access and the quality of dining options.

From this data they drew up a ranking – the European Railway Station Index 2021. Vienna Hauptbahnhof comes second in the table, St Pancras third and Amsterdam Centraal fourth.

Germany dominates the prestigious end of the list. Frankfurt and Munich’s main stations come joint fifth, bringing the country’s top 10 total to three.

The rest of the top 10 comprises Moscow Kazansky (joint fourth); Moscow Kursky (sixth); Milano Centrale (seventh); Birmingham New Street (eighth, up from 11th); Roma Termini (ninth); and Paris’s Gare Montparnasse and Bologna Centrale (joint 10th).

The 51st station on the passenger-friendliness list, meanwhile, is Magenta Paris.

The organisation behind the ranking, the Consumer Choice Center, praised Leipzig Hauptbahnhof’s facilities.

It said: ‘The station offers the greatest number of domestic destinations and an array of shops and restaurants. Several different railway companies use Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, which made it stand out in the top five.’

St Pancras’s mini slide down the table was apparently partly due to Eurostar services being cut back as a result of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Choice Center explained in its report for the index that the size of a railway station ‘does not necessarily mean more convenience or better infrastructure’.

It said: ‘Some of the largest stations such as Paris Gare du Nord, Madrid Atocha, or Chatelet–Les Halles [Paris] did not even make it on the top 10 in terms of passenger experience.’

The report’s authors added: ‘The coronavirus crisis has significantly restricted the freedom to travel in Europe and globally. Long train voyages have now become just a memory for most of us. However, with the pace of the vaccine roll-out progressing, there is every reason to be optimistic about regaining our freedom to travel this summer. As consumers across Europe rush to book business trips and vacations, our European Railway Index will come in handy.’  

Originally published here.

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