Speaking as a French person living in Japan, I can believe that France was #2 or #3 in the early 2000s, but it’s been degrading for so long that it’s probably way behind Korea/China/etc nowadays. Incessant delays, frequent breakdowns, extremely high prices, small stations closing down, impossible to get tickets for holidays and weekends unless you book weeks/months in advance… the lack of civility you often encounter from fellow passengers is the rotten cherry on top.

I hear from German friends that Germany’s train system has encountered a similar fate.

If only it were just the trains - but our government has gutted similarly education, healthcare, … it really is disheartening.

OK, I admit my experience on french trains is pretty dated. But I was thinking more of the TGVs, etc, and the ICE in DE. It's not just the metros. If it were, Singapore or a Chinese city would probably top the list.

The Swiss rail network is small but very dense, very punctual, and extremely well designed (the timetable is optimized countrywide across most public transit operators to allow for smooth transfers - it's very rare to require a transfer with more than 15min wait). And it shows in passenger-kilometers stats: about 20% as much as Germany, even though Switzerland is 10% the area and 10% the population of Germany (roughly).

Japan has many things going for it but also some notable issues. The various private operators can be confusing ("oh, your train doesn't leave from platform 4 in this building, it leaves from platform 4 in the Odakyu building"). There is virtually no transit available at night, even within the large metros. Once you leave the main lines the service frequency can be very spotty and the transfers very badly designed. No bike transport even on smaller regional trains (not counting "disassembled in a bike bag" as bike transport).

> private operators

This also somewhat prevent having unified ticketing systems like you have in Switzerland.

The ticket you can buy in the train station is also valid for the local buses. Or even better (from a practicality point of view), you can use an app that track your start and end point and automatically bill you accordingly (you rare have to stamp your ticket when using public transport; you just come and go and there's sometime controls by agents).

I'm sure that there's some exception in Japan, like JR West, Central and East are technically different companies but the tourist JR pass allows you to go wherever, but it's hard to beat the convenience of the Swiss transports.

I think that's what Pasmo/Suica is for (although they are going through a shortage of cards right now).

True, although you have to periodically remember to top up you account (my last trip to Japan was short in duration so it wasn't worth it to get one; my memory is probably biased)

My experience, having traveled a lot, is that even those countries/municipalities with good public transit are still pretty confusing for visitors who aren't familiar with the system/haven't downloaded the right apps etc./are jet-lagged/don't speak the language. Some usability testing would really be welcome.

Germany's long distance trains are comfortable but the reliability of the Deutsche Bahn is abysmal. In 2023, more than one third of their long distance train were delayed, a metric that has been going down for quite a while. My own experience is much worse, with three out of five long distance trips canceled without notice and a fourth one replaced by a voucher for a 450km taxi ride.

In a country the size of Germany clamoring to have an environmentally oriented politic, train should be a convenient alternative to both car and airplane but unfortunately the train network is a joke.

> a fourth one replaced by a voucher for a 450km taxi ride

When can I move to Germany ?

In the UK if your train gets cancelled its either:

    1. "Tough shit. Suck it up buttercup"
    2. The infamous Rail Replacement Bus Service

Most of the time option two doesn't even get offered.

So yeah, you would not find me complaining if the train company offered me a taxi voucher if my train was cancelled !

In 2018 I spent ~£6300 on train tickets for personal holiday travel all over the UK. Of that, almost 50% of it was refunded due to meeting requirements for partial refunds due to delayed/cancelled services.

After that experience, I purchased a car and motorbike and I will never be convinced to give up my independence in exchange for that abysmal service. It was completely morale breaking. What's worse is I then worked in Japan during 2019 and experienced some of the best service I could possibly think would be reasonable. It's hard to defend in any form the absolute depressing state of the UK rail service.

I left $6000 of camera equipment and cash on a backpack on the Metro in Tokyo, and it was reteured to lost and found at the next stop, who promptly called me (internationally) to let me know they had it. Not a single thing missing.

That's not even a high end or expensive train... Japan's rail system is for sure #1.

Here in Brussels there are 3 train stations in which every train passing through has to stop. Thieves will purposely hop on and off these trains just to steal bags especially ones likely to carry tourists or people going to & fro the airport.

Japan is just lovely.

In one of Tokyo's high end districts you'll see 5 grand bicycles parked with locks that more resemble a shoe string than an actual lock.

Can't imagine the horror that must be the rest of the world through a Japanese person's eyes.

This is solely due to the high trust homogenous society.

We will never have that in America in any shared public space ever.

And yet that's basically the same experience as in Zürich, Switzerland - a city where almost half of the inhabitants are immigrants.

It’s 30%, and 8/10 of those come from Europe. Not exactly Brooklyn, and crime is rapidly rising there regardless

Was more referring to the process and professionalism of the rail employees and procedures that I was notified right away vs the fact nothing was stolen - but I noted it since they opened up the bag to find my ID inside and reach out.

I think with the "general abo" which is an expensive[1] yearly subscription to a nearly complete train + city and rural bus network, the Swiss network might be fighting for that first place.

Both have strong points, I would say people in Japan probably behave better than Swiss people.

Obviously, users still often complain.

[1] not that expensive if compared to owning a car

Was just there this past year and even as a visitor you can get a 1 month pass for 50% off all fares. I think it was 150 CHF for the pass. Paid for itself in one day with a trip from Zurich to Lauterbrunnen & back.