Zurich has the best railway station in continental Europe

The Consumer Choice Center, an international consumer protection group, has published the first European Railway Index. For these rankings, Zurich Main Station achieved a score of 111 points, which was good enough for second place in the index. At 116 points, St. Pancras International in London took first place, with Leipzig Central Station coming in third place (110 points). The best possible score was 139 points. 

The 50 largest railway stations in Europe were evaluated. The core criteria included general cleanliness, volume of people on the platforms and the clarity of station signs. The number of strike days and availability of transport services were also added into the equation.

Zurich Main Station scored a maximum of 100 percent in the cleanliness category. The elevators to platforms and general ease of orientation at the station were also assessed positively. With a total of 202 businesses and 62 restaurants and cafés, the ShopVille area at Zurich Main Station improved its position in the rankings. Furthermore, Zurich scored well for its route network and number of destinations.

Nearly all railway stations in the top ten are located in northern Europe. Only Roma Termini (4th) and Milano Centrale (8th) are situated to the south of the Alps. From Eastern Europe, it was only Moscow Kazansky that was voted among the best stations (9th). A total of five German railway stations were included in the top ten across Europe.