BEST Annual Conference 2025 in Copenhagen

Nyhavn i Copenhagen

On 12–13 June 2025, BEST members from across the Nordic region and the Netherlands gathered in Copenhagen for the annual BEST Conference. Hosted by Movia and held at Scandic Copenhagen, the two-day event brought together over 25 representatives to exchange knowledge, discuss strategies, and strengthen collaboration to improve public transport and mobility.

Key Themes and Findings

The conference opened with a look back at BEST’s 24-year history of benchmarking and peer learning — a tradition that continues to drive progress across member cities.

Highlights from the 2024 BEST Survey revealed important trends:

• Falling optimism about future public transport use across all cities.

• Better passenger information during disruptions, especially in Copenhagen, Helsinki, and Rotterdam.

• Accessibility gaps, with nearly 10% of users facing challenges and vulnerable groups experiencing more barriers.

• Value-for-money concerns linked to fare increases and service cuts.

Despite these challenges, there were bright spots: ridership and ticket revenues are rising in several cities, and customer satisfaction is improving in places like Trondheim and Tampere.

City Snapshots

From metro expansions in Copenhagen to major service improvements in Trondheim, each city brought its own updates, challenges, and successes. Full survey results and presentations are available to members on the BEST website.

Tourism, Sustainability, and Mobility

Keynote speaker Adam Engel from Wonderful Copenhagen shared how tourism strategies can support greener mobility, including:

• CopenPay 2.0 – rewarding climate-friendly tourist behavior like using public transport.

• Spreading tourism – guiding visitors beyond city centers and integrating public transport into the experience.

Learning from Each Other

An interactive strategy session featured 10 short case presentations from member cities on topics such as ticketing innovation, digital infrastructure, youth engagement, and branding. Participants shared key takeaways and inspiration for future projects.

Exploring Copenhagen’s New Metro Line

The conference concluded with a technical visit to the new Sydhavn Metro Line (M4), highlighting its architecture, art, and role in improving connectivity and urban space.