Major Dutch train stations are often better than their foreign counterparts. In a comparison of the fifty largest stations in Europe, Utrecht Central and Amsterdam Central finished in the top ten. And yes, the amount of delay calculated.
The research was conducted by the US consumer organization’s Center for Consumer Choice, which evaluated the 50 most visited stations in Europe. For the Netherlands, this only includes stations in Utrecht and Amsterdam.
The researchers looked at opening hours, facilities such as shops, accessibility for people with disabilities, connections with other stations and how often trains were delayed. It is also important whether you can wait comfortably, whether taxis can find you easily and whether the provision of information to travelers is sound.
At the top of the list is Zurich station in Switzerland, followed at a great distance by the main station in the Austrian capital, Vienna. Berlin Hauptbahnhof and the station in the Swiss capital, Bern, share third place. Next comes Utrecht Central Station. Amsterdam Central also remains in the top ten with eighth place.
It is interesting to note that the last five places are occupied by German stations. Bremen Central Station records the worst. As many as 39 percent of trains there have a delay of at least five minutes.
According to the researchers, the reason why many German stations received very poor scores is because the government launched a cheap train ticket last year. This allowed Germans unlimited train travel for €9 per month. This led to a significant increase in the number of passengers, while the train system was not designed for this purpose at all.
