This chapter provides an overview of public transport in Western Europe and discusses the similarities and differences between systems. Figures are presented for each country describing numbers of buses and lengths of railways. The operational structure is indicated in terms of whether the type of system operated is complementary, competitive or monopolistic. The provision of paratransit services is noted. The demand for public transport is considered including a) a comparison of bus and train patronage, b) the variation in demand between countries, c) the characteristics of passengers and d) trends in patronage. The levels and effects of public transport subsidies are compared for road and rail. A table is presented comparing rail subsidies and efficiency indices for European countries. An assessment of future trends in public transport highlights the use of high speed rail and sees a decrease in the use of bus and rail at the regional level.
Abstract