Better public transport data for better-connected communities

A new study on the European Data Portal examines the availability and consistency of scheduled public transport data in General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format across the EU. GTFS is an open, machine-readable standard covering operators, stops, routes, trips and timetables, which helps transport authorities and developers to reuse data more easily across borders. Reliable public transport data helps journey planners operate efficiently, supports transport research and enables authorities to understand how well communities are connected.

The researchers analysed nearly 1 000 feeds collected from national access points in 18 EU Member States. Together, these feeds contained over 130 000 routes and more than 2.4 million stops with valid coordinates. The findings reveal that, while a large amount of public transport data is available, it is still fragmented. Data coverage differs considerably between countries, with stops, routes and services not always identified or classified in the same way. This makes it difficult to combine and compare transport data across national borders.

Bringing transport data together with population and geographical data provides a clearer picture of how well different communities are served by public transport. It can also help identify gaps in access  and give transport planners a stronger evidence base for decision-making. The report highlights several promising practices, including consistent stop identifiers in Germany, Croatia and Austria, and extensive accessibility-related station data in Austria.

Explore the full study and its recommendations to learn how more harmonised open data could support better-connected and more accessible communities across Europe.

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