Over a billion people will travel to Europe by train by 2020

According to an Amadeus study published this week, by 2020, long distance train travel in Europe will increase by 21 percent, with annual growth of 2.2 percent. Over the next seven years, 1.36 billion people will choose this mode of transport for their trips.

According to an Amadeus study published this week, by 2020, long distance train travel in Europe will increase by 21 percent, with annual growth of 2.2 percent. Over the next seven years, 1.36 billion people will choose this mode of transport for their trips.

Many-passengers-could-choose-to-travel-by-train-Photo-AFP-Tomas-Sereda-Shutterstock-com

The liberalization of the market in Europe will increase passenger demand. British, French, Swiss and Germans in particular will be frequently using this mode of transport, according to the report.

"Building standards for data exchange, booking and ticketing services will fundamentally change the way the traveler will view rail travel," explained Amadeus Rail's director, Thomas Drexler.

However, Amadeus did specify in its study that in order to optimize the growth of train travel, through-ticketing that would allow travel from one country to the next on the rail network would have to be introduced.