When you are commuting into Amsterdam for work or a night out, you may not think too much about going through Centraal - but that might be about to change. According to the European Railway Station Index for 2022, Amsterdam Centraal is the joint second-best train station in Europe in 2022!

CCC’s European Railway Station Index 2022

Compiled by the Consumer Choice Centre (CCC), the European Railway Station Index examines the 50 largest train stations across the continent in order to determine Europe’s most passenger-friendly railway stations. 

Each station included in the study is ranked according to passenger experience, calculating overall scores by awarding points for the annual number of passengers per platform, the number of domestic and international connections, wheelchair accessibility, access to taxis and the internet, and the availability of lounges, shops and restaurants.

This year’s edition of the study notes the impact of the end of the coronavirus pandemic on train travel in Europe, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. After ranking as the best station in Germany in 2020 and the best European station in 2021, Leipzig Central Station has now fallen out of the top 10. London St. Pancras, Birmingham New Street and Vienna Central Station also lost their high positions.

Zurich HB was ranked as the continent's number one train station, but this year's ranking was dominated by railway stations in Germany, with the main termini in Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Berlin, Hannover and Düsseldorf all nabbing spots in the top 10.

Dutch train station ranked joint second-best in Europe

Despite a good showing by stations in Utrecht and other Dutch cities, only one train station in the Netherlands managed to secure one of the top spots in the ranking. Amsterdam Centraal achieved an overall score of 91 out of 108, putting it in joint second place alongside Frankfurt am Main Hbf, Munich Hbf, Berlin Hbf, and Milano Centrale.

With 72,8 million people making use of the station every year, the CCC praised Centraal for its connections to public transport in the Netherlands and overseas. In all,129 national and international destinations are served by the station.

The past several years have seen a number of changes implemented at Amsterdam Centraal, as years of construction work came to an end and the Noord-Zuid Lijn (metro 52) opened in 2018. Various international routes have also been launched, including a direct line between Amsterdam and London, and night trains to Zurich and Vienna.

The top 10 train stations in Europe 

According to the European Railway Station Index 2022, the top 10 train stations in Europe are:

• 1. Zurich HB
• =2. Frankfurt Main Hbf
• =2. Munich Hbf
• =2. Berlin Hbf
• =2. Milano Centrale
• =2. Amsterdam Centraal
• 7.  Gare de Lyon (Paris)
• 8. Roma Termini
• =9. Hannover Hbf
• =9. Düsseldorf Hbf

For more information about the ranking, check out the CCC’s website.