VIENNA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- The popularity of trains as a means of transport has grown steadily in Austria with about 40 percent more kilometers now traveled compared to 2005, according to traffic authority the Verkehrsclub Osterreich (VCO).

In a statement on Thursday, the VCO said in total Austrians traveled about 13 billion kilometers by train in 2017, spread across services from the country's 16 rail companies.

This equates to a total of about 36 million kilometers traveled by people each day.

VCO expert Markus Gansterer said the trend provides great relief for traffic on Austria's roads, though argued that train services still need to be expanded much more.

In metropolitan areas in particular there are significant traffic problems that will only worsen with an increase in population and the number of commuters, he said.

He noted that the increased use of trains could also lead to a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in the country, but only if a significantly higher number of people choose them over cars.