Nearly 60% of the EU's railway network is electrified as of early 2026, making rail the most electrified mode of public transport in Europe. There are no technical barriers to electrify even further.
Electric rail is concentrated mainly in urban areas. On busy lines, the switch makes sense in terms of both cost and emissions reduction. But on less-frequented lines, large upfront investments hinder electrification.
Without subsidies, it isn't cost-efficient to build new infrastructure, like the overhead wires that connect the electric railway system to the main grid.
One way to deal with that is battery-powered trains that recharge through overhead lines when available. Other options include hybrid (battery-diesel or electro-diesel), biodiesel, or even hydrogen fuel cell power.
Leading the way: Switzerland currently runs all 5,300km of its train lines on electricity, while Spain, the Netherlands, and Croatia have regions with fully electrified train networks.
What's in it for you? Electric trains are cheaper to operate and maintain compared to diesel trains. That doesn’t translate directly into lower ticket prices, but electrification does shield providers from volatile fossil fuel prices. An electrified rail network means fewer disruptions and cancelled journeys like we see in aviation.
Electric trains also accelerate faster and can be longer and heavier, increasing the number of trains that can operate per hour and the number of passengers they can carry. Metro networks use this to make many stops over short distances and offer more frequent connections.
Runner-up: Buses
In 2025, 60% of new city buses in the EU were zero-emission, up from 12% in 2019. At that rate, we may see the end of new diesel buses by 2028, according to sustainable transport NGO Transport and Environment.
Long-distance buses are trickier. Compared to city buses, they require larger batteries and more charging infrastructure. But new models are coming out. FlixBus launched its first long-distance electric bus in England and Wales back in 2024 while keeping ticket prices low.
Leading the way: Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, and Slovenia had fully electric city buses in 2025. Most rely on battery-electric buses, but Slovenia bet on a newer technology: hydrogen fuel cell buses, which cover longer distances on a single charge and refuel quickly compared to electric buses. Yet the costs of green hydrogen, from production to storage, are currently too high to scale up.
What's in it for you? Besides cutting emissions, electric city buses can also improve urban air quality. They drive more smoothly, so there's less sudden acceleration and fewer people falling over in morning traffic. Electric vehicles produce less noise – a relief for people living on busy streets.
Also: Ferries
Ferries are a crucial form of public transport in many places. If you’ve ever been to Amsterdam and had to cross the IJ channel, you may have taken the free partly-electric ferry. However, many ports across Europe still lack sufficient infrastructure to charge ferries.
Leading the way: Nordic countries are leading in developing fully-electric passenger ferries. Norway's latest addition can operate in temperatures as low as –25C.
The bigger news is a planned emission-free ferry connection between Helsinki and Tallinn, now the third most emission-heavy ferry route in Europe. When it starts operating in the early 2030s, it should become the world's largest electric passenger ferry, carrying 2,000 passengers per route.
What's in it for you? Besides smooth sailing and lower noise and vibrations for us humans, electrified ferries are also beneficial for marine life, especially in environmentally protected areas.