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.