ABSTRACT
The Portuguese provide a substantial degree of state support for their rail system and have the second lowest fares in Europe. Italians and Greeks are investing in new track, and in France and Germany controls on road haulage - which do not exist elsewhere - contribute to a healthier financial situation for the rail system than might otherwise be the case. The financial status of railway companies is revealing about national differences, and the loss per capita entry produces an interesting ranking. Geography plays a large part in these discrepancies at the mundane level of size and shape of the national territory, but also in terms of the relationship between domestic flows, import and export flows, and the importance of port-related activities. The nature of rail passenger travel is changing rapidly in Europe, the pace of change being much quicker in some countries than others.
