London St Pancras crowned best train station in Europe
German stations ranked best overall
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Your support makes all the difference.London St Pancras has been named Europe’s best train station in a new ranking.
The European Railway Station Index, compiled by the Consumer Choice Centre (CCC), scored Europe’s 50 largest railway stations out of a possible 139 points, across criteria including accessibility for wheelchair users, cleanliness, signage, platforms and range of destinations served.
They were also scored on the choice of restaurants and shops and first-class lounge facilities, plus points were subtracted based on the number of days affected by rail strikes.
Home to Eurostar services to France, Belgium and the Netherlands, St Pancras placed top with an overall score of 116.
However, it was the only UK station to make the top 10.
German stations were rated the best in general, with five of the top 10 based in Germany: Leipzig, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Frankfurt.
Italy also had two entries, with Roma Termini and Milan Central Station ranking fourth and eighth respectively.
Several more British stations made it into the top 20: Birmingham New Street (12th); London Bridge (15th); and London Victoria (20th).
At the other end of the spectrum, Magenta station in Paris achieved the lowest score (41), followed by Nørreport station in Copenhagen and Haussmann-Saint-Lazare in Paris.
Many of the French capital’s stations ranked poorly due to the high number of strike days affecting travel.
“Train travel has received a more important role in Europe in recent years,” said the CCC.
“Policy makers and consumers have oriented toward train travel as a means of reducing carbon emissions.
“While we at the Consumer Choice Center stand for choice and technology neutrality, we want to use the rise of interest in long distance train travel as an opportunity to show which railway stations in Europe are the most convenient for travellers.”
The CCC attributed St Pancras’ win to its low number of strike days, high passenger convenience and international connectivity.
“The fact that it also hosts the longest champagne bar in Europe did not influence this ranking,” it added.
Europe’s 10 best train stations
- St Pancras, London, UK
- Zürich Central Station, Zurich, Switzerland
- Leipzig Central Station, Leipzig, Germany
- Roma Termini, Rome, Italy
- München Central Station, Munich, Germany
- Hamburg Central Station, Hamburg, Germany
- Berlin Central Station, Berlin, Germany
- Milan Central Station, Milan, Italy
- Moscow Kazansky, Moscow, Russia
- Frankfurt Central Station, Frankfurt, Germany
Europe’s 10 worst train stations
- Magenta, Paris, France
- Nørreport, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Haussmann-Saint-Lazare, Paris, France
- Châtelet–Les Halles, Paris, France
- Torino Porta Nuova, Turin, Italy
- Oslo Central Station, Oslo, Norway
- Dortmund Central Station, Dortmund, Germany
- Berlin Friedrichstrasse, Berlin, Germany
- Wien Mitte, Vienna, Austria
- Helsinki Central Station, Helsinki, Finland
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