Top 10 European train stations with most delays are all in Germany

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, life in Germany would be a whole lot tougher without train stations. But how do they fare by European comparison? And which German train station has the most delays?

The 2026 European Railway Station Index

The European Railway Index by the Consumer Choice Center (CCC) compares the 60 largest railway stations on the continent (by passenger volume). 

Each station is scored on factors such as the number of restaurants, train delays, waiting times, access to station services, accessibility, Wi-Fi, and national and local public transport coverage.

10 train stations have been added to the annual ranking this year thanks to growing passenger numbers: The Hague Central, Poznań Główny, Kraków Główny, Birmingham New Street, Madrid-Chamartín, Luzern Station, Leiden Centraal, Prague Central Station and Venice’s Santa Lucia.

Unsurprisingly, Switzerland dominated the top 20 train stations in this year’s ranking, with Zürich Hbf taking first place as Europe’s top-rated railway station, followed by Bern Hbf in fifth and newly ranked Luzern Hbf in 14th. So how did Germany fare?

All 10 least punctual stations are in Germany

Not good. In the overall ranking, Germany’s best-performing train station was Berlin Hauptbahnhof, which came in joint 18th place with London Victoria. 

Remember, Berlin Hbf was Germany’s best-performing station, but according to the ranking 61,1 percent of its trains are delayed, and passengers face an average waiting time of 20 minutes. 

That’s not even the most embarrassing part of the results. Of the top 10 train stations across Europe with the highest percentage of delayed trains, every single one is in Germany. Dortmund Hbf sees the most delayed trains of any station in Europe. 73,8 percent of trains arriving in Dortmund are delayed.

Cologne followed. A pathetic 71,5 percent of trains arriving at Cologne Hauptbahnhof are on time. Hamburg (67,5 percent delayed), Bremen (62,9 percent) and Essen (61,6 percent) rounded out the top five. 

Leipzig (61,2 percent delayed), Berlin, Düsseldorf (58,5 percent), Frankfurt (57,3 percent) and Stuttgart (56,5 percent) completed the top 10. If you don’t live in these cities, congratulations: your trains are probably delayed, but not quite as badly delayed as those of us who do.

If you’ve ever wondered how it got this bad, head to our article, Why are Deutsche Bahn trains always delayed?

Top 10 best train stations in Europe in 2026

In all, the top 10 best train stations in Europe in 2026 according to the CCC are:

1. Zürich Hbf, Switzerland
2. Gare du Nord, France
3. Amsterdam Centraal, the Netherlands
4. Wrocław Główny, Poland
5. Bern Hbf, Switzerland
6. Gare Montparnasse, France
7. Gare Saint-Lazare, France
8. London Bridge, UK
9. Kraków Główny, Poland
10. London St Pancras International, UK

Take a look at the full European Railway Station Index for more details.