GROWING NETWORK
The growing network is based on routes from RailDude where various travelers can post their favorite route, the route they have taken, a recommended route or whatever route they want to post.
Each post is posted a specific year starting from 2009 and until today (2014). The growing network will be build up by routes from the different years.
This will show if the most popular cities (most mentioned in RailDude routes) and most popular rail connection between two cities have changed over the years. It will also show if the year is changing the overall popularity in the growing network. Also it will be possible to see how many new cities are added to the network each year and how many new rail connections.
In the following routes from each year will be added one year at a time. Top 5's for the entire growing rail network are shown and commented for each year. Top 5's for each year are shown and compared at the end of this page.
Let's start adding routes to the rail network.
2009
In 2009 103 cities are in the network. The number of rail connections is 240.
Top 5 - Most mentioned cities
Top 5 - Most rail connections
Top 5 - Most traversed rail connections
1. Berlin - 30
2. Paris - 29
3. Amsterdam - 26
4. Prague - 24
5. Vienna - 20
1. Paris - 24
2. Vienna - 22
3. Rome - 20
4. Berlin - 20
5. Amsterdam - 19
1. Amsterdam to Berlin - 12
2. Berlin to Prague - 8
3. Prague to Vienna - 6
4. Prague to Budapest - 5
5. Vienna to Budapest - 4
2010
In 2010 119 more cities are added to the network and 438 new rail connections.
Top 5 - Most used rail connections
Top 5 - Most rail connections
Top 5 - Most mentioned cities
1. Berlin - 128
2. Prague - 124
3. Amsterdam - 119
4. Paris - 110
5. Vienna - 98
1. Paris - 60
2. Berlin - 49
3. Vienna - 48
4. Budapest - 45
5. Amsterdam - 45
1. Berlin to Prague - 54
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 49
3. Prague to Vienna - 28
4. Prague to Krakow - 26
5. Krakow to Budapest - 18
Berlin is still the most mentioned city while Paris is still the one with most rail connections. That means that Paris has most rail connections coming in and out. Also called highest degree in network terminology. Berlin to Prague is after the 2010 routes have been added the top used rail connection.
2011
In 2011 60 more cities are added to the network and 256 new rail connections.
Top 5 - Most mentioned cities
Top 5 - Most rail connections
Top 5 - Most used rail connections
1. Berlin to Prague - 72
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 67
3. Prague to Vienna - 36
4. Prague to Krakow - 35
5. Prague to Amsterdam - 28
1. Paris - 74
2. Berlin - 60
3. Budapest - 59
4. Vienna - 58
5. Amsterdam - 55
1. Berlin - 180
2. Prague - 176
3. Amsterdam - 173
4. Paris - 167
5. Budapest - 139
The Top 5 for most mentioned cities now has Budapest as number 5. Budapest is also now the 3rd city with most rail connections. The Top 5 most used rail connections has almost not changed except from number 5 which is now Prague to Amsterdam instead of Krakow to Budapest
2012
In 2012 55 more cities are added to the network and 234 new rail connections.
Top 5 - Most mentioned cities
Top 5 - Most rail connections
Top 5 - Most used rail connections
1. Berlin to Prague - 97
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 91
3. Prague to Vienna - 53
4. Prague to Krakow - 48
5. Prague to Amsterdam - 36
1. Paris - 86
2. Budepest - 74
3. Venice - 68
4. Amsterdam - 68
5. Vienna - 64
1. Berlin - 235
2. Prague - 233
3. Amsterdam - 231
4. Paris - 205
5. Budapest - 187
The Top 5 for most mentioned cities has not changed since 2011 as well as Top 5 most used rail connections. Budapest is now number 2 in Top 5 most rail connections and Venice is there for the first time as number 3 which means that Berlin is not in Top 5 anymore.
2013
In 2013 37 more cities are added to the network and 191 new rail connections.
Top 5 - Most mentioned cities
Top 5 - Most rail connections
Top 5 - Most used rail connections
1. Berlin to Prague - 116
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 109
3. Prague to Vienna - 64
4. Prague to Krakow - 56
5. Krakow to Budapest - 40
1. Prague - 284
2. Berlin - 282
3. Amsterdam - 278
4. Paris - 240
5. Budapest - 228
Prague is now number 1 in the Top 5 for most mentioned cities. Italy is now in Top 5 cities with most rail connections with two cities Rome and Venice. Top 5 most used rail connections got Krakow to Budapest back to number 5.
1. Paris - 93
2. Budapest - 85
3. Amsterdam - 78
4. Rome - 77
5. Venice - 76
2014
Since it is still year 2014 only 36 routes from 2014 are added to the network. This is 7 new more cities and 62 new rail connections.
Top 5 - Most mentioned cities
Top 5 - Most rail connections
Top 5 - Most used rail connections
1. Prague - 303
2. Berlin - 298
3. Amsterdam - 295
4. Paris - 250
5. Budapest - 241
1. Paris - 96
2. Budapest - 87
3. Amsterdam - 80
4. Rome - 80
5. Venice - 79
1. Berlin to Prague - 126
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 118
3. Prague to Vienna - 66
4. Prague to Krakow - 64
5. Krakow to Budapest - 43
None of the Top 5's have changed since 2013 by adding the 36 routes from 2014.
Prague ended in top of most mentioned cities, but Berlin was right after. However these two cities are not in the Top 5 for most rail connections. This means that Berlin and Prague do not have as many in and out rail connections as for instance Paris, but they are more popular to be mentioned in a route on RailDude by an Interrail traveler.
When it comes to the most used rail connections Berlin to Prague and Amsterdam to Berlin were in top throughout the entire growing network. This correlates to the fact that these three cities are also the most mentioned and thereby the most popular cities.
In general the Top 5's contain cities in Central Europe.
COMPARISON OF TOP 5 MOST POPULAR CITIES EACH YEAR
Below the Top 5's for each year are compared.
NUMBER OF CITIES AND RAIL CONNECTIONS IN THE GROWING NETWORK
Below two lines are showing how the network is growing for each year as more routes are added to the network. In the beginning of both lines the slope is steep but as more routes are added the slope is decreasing. This is because more and more cities are already in the network as well as more and more rail connections. As the growing network is going against having all cities and rail connections in it the lines will go against being horizontal and will in the end not change no matter how many more routes are added to the network.
2010
2009
2011
2012
2013
2014
1. Berlin - 30
2. Paris - 29
3. Amsterdam - 26
4. Prague - 24
5. Vienna - 20
1. Prague - 100
2. Berlin - 98
3. Amsterdam - 93
4. Budapest - 83
5. Paris - 81
1. Paris - 57
2. Amsterdam - 54
3. Berlin - 52
4. Prague - 52
5. Budapest - 41
1. Amsterdam - 58
2. Prague - 57
3. Berlin - 55
4. Budapest - 48
5. Vienna - 39
1. Prague - 51
2. Berlin - 47
3. Amsterdam - 47
4. Budapest - 41
5. Vienna - 39
1. Prague - 19
2. Amsterdam - 17
3. Berlin - 16
4. Venice - 13
5. Budapest - 13
In 2009 Berlin is the most mentioned city in the routes on RailDude. Over the years different cities are the most popular. In 2010, 2013 and 2014 it is Prague. In 2011 it is Paris and in 2012 it is Amsterdam. So the most popular city is changing depending on which year the routes have been posted in. This however has not affected the Top 5 most mentioned cities that much for the entire growing network since this only have Berlin as number 1 in the beginning and Prague as number 1 in the end.
In general the popular cities are capitals in Europe which is also some very popular cities for all tourists in general. Since you often associate Interrail with summer It could have been expected that more cost cities would have been in Top 5. However Interrail can be done all year but most people are travelling in the summer time. The reason is that even though Interrail travelers are going to the beaches as well they often pass some big cities (usually the same cities - the ones in the Top 5's) in Central Europe but goes to various different cost cities in different countries. Not all people are going to the exact same Top 5 cost cities but a lot of people goes to for instance the capital of France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
In general not many cities in Southern Europe are represented in the top 5. Only in 2014 Venice is number 3 and the focus in Venice is probably more an interest of sailing the canals than it is going to a beach there.
None of the cities in Scandinavia are represented in the Top 5's.
COMPARISON OF TOP 5 MOST POPULAR RAIL CONNECTIONS EACH YEAR
Below the Top 5's from each year are compared.
2010
2009
2011
1. Amsterdam to Berlin - 12
2. Berlin to Prague - 8
3. Prague to Vienna - 6
4. Prague to Budapest - 5
5. Vienna to Budapest - 4
1. Berlin to Prague - 46
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 37
3. Prague to Krakow - 23
4. Prague to Vienna - 22
5. Krakow to Budapest - 18
1. Berlin to Prague - 18
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 18
3. Paris to Amsterdam - 11
4. Prague to Krakow - 9
5. Berlin to Amsterdam - 8
2012
2013
2014
1. Berlin to Prague - 25
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 24
3. Prague to Vienna - 17
4. Prague to Krakow - 13
5. Krakow to Budapest - 11
1. Berlin to Prague - 19
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 18
3. Prague to Vienna - 11
4. Vienna to Budapest - 8
5. Prague to Krakow - 8
1. Berlin to Prague - 10
2. Amsterdam to Berlin - 9
3. Prague to Krakow - 8
4. Prague to Budapest - 6
5. Zagreb to Venice - 3
When it comes to the rail connections Berlin to Prague is over all the most popular connection to take due to the routes people posted on RailDude. Number 2 is Amsterdam to Berlin.
It seems like a route from Amsterdam to Berlin to Prague and then to Krakow, Vienna or to Budapest would be very popular. The Top 5 rail connections are shown below in a tiny network. The first one is showing the cities on a map of Europe. The connections are quite tiny so the other one shows the connections with big arrows so it is possible to see how the cities are connected.
