Railway fatalities across the European Union decreased to 750 in 2024, a 10.8% drop from the 841 deaths recorded in 2023. The majority of these deaths involved individuals unauthorized to be on the tracks, while suicides on railway premises continue to exceed accidental fatalities.
EU Railway Fatalities Decline in 2024
The reduction in railway accidents follows two consecutive years of increases, reversing a steady decline observed between 2014 and 2019, when fatalities fell by approximately 22%. Further decreases of nearly 15% were recorded by the end of 2021, coinciding with a significant reduction in rail passenger transport due to the global pandemic.
In 2024, 65.6% of fatalities involved unauthorized persons on the tracks. Level-crossing users accounted for the second largest group at 25.5%, followed by railway employees (3.7%), other causes (3.1%), and railway passengers (2.1%).
Poland reported the highest number of railway fatalities in 2024 with 163 deaths, followed by Germany with 142 and Romania with 65. Luxembourg and Slovenia recorded no fatalities, while Estonia and Ireland each recorded one death, and Finland and Latvia each recorded four.
Separately reported, railway suicides numbered 2,357 in 2024, a decrease of 9.6% from the 2,608 recorded in 2014. Germany had the highest number of railway suicides with 688, followed by France with 267 and the Netherlands with 186. Lithuania reported none, Greece reported one, and Estonia reported four.
This data, published by Eurostat, demonstrates ongoing safety improvements in rail transport while highlighting the continued challenges posed by unauthorized access and suicides on railway infrastructure. Targeted safety measures, public awareness campaigns, and infrastructure enhancements are crucial to further reduce accidents and fatalities across the EU.
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