What factors determine the number of passengers choosing a high-speed rail station?
This is the key question explored in the study The Catchment Area of High-Speed Rail Stations in Italy: An Analysis Based on Mobile Phone Big Data, presented by Presented by A. Falanga, I. Henke and E. Cascetta, transport researchers and experts, together with M. Tartaglia, Head of the FS Research Centre of the FS Group, and L. Vannacci, C. Bonvicini and L. Galieni, members of the Centre at the 6th International Symposium on High-Speed Rail Socioeconomic Impacts, organized by the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the University of Naples Federico II on 8-9 September 2026.
The study aims to understand how station location, territorial characteristics, accessibility conditions, and competition among stations influence the size of catchment areas and their ability to attract passengers.
Focusing on the Italian high-speed rail network, the researchers used anonymized mobile phone data from more than 22 million SIM cards to identify the actual origins of station users and reconstruct station catchment areas. Statistical models were then applied to assess the influence of factors such as population, economic activity, distance from the station, and the presence of competing high-speed rail stations. The results show that a station’s attractiveness depends not only on the presence of high-speed rail services but also on territorial and economic conditions, accessibility, and competition from nearby stations. The study also provides a valuable tool for forecasting demand at future stations and supporting more effective infrastructure planning and investment decisions.
