The annual European Railway Station Index evaluated train stations based on various criteria, including their opening hours, availability of facilities like shops, accessibility for people with disabilities, connections to other stations, frequency of train delays, the comfort of waiting areas, ease of taxi access, and the quality of information provided to travelers.

The bottom five are all occupied by German stations, with Bremen scoring the lowest among the 50 most visited stations in Europe.

The researchers found that many German train stations scored poorly due to the government's introduction of a low-cost train ticket last year, which allowed unlimited train travel for 9 euros per month. This resulted in a significant increase in passenger numbers, overwhelming a train system not designed to handle such high volumes.