The European Commission proposes single tickets and clearer rights for train travel in the EU
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The package proposed by the Commission would allow passengers to find, compare, and purchase railway services operated by different companies, including on cross-border routes, through a platform of their choice in a single transaction. In the event of losing a connection during a multi-operator railway journey purchased as a single ticket, passengers would benefit from assistance, rerouting, refunds, and compensation, and ticketing platforms would need to display travel options in a neutral and transparent manner.
The European Commission has proposed new rules to simplify travel bookings in the EU, especially by train, so that passengers can combine services from multiple operators into a single ticket and benefit from full rights in the event of missed connections during multi-operator railway journeys.
In short
The European Commission has proposed three regulations to simplify the planning and booking of regional, long-distance, and cross-border travel.
Passengers could purchase a single ticket that combines railway services operated by multiple companies in a single transaction.
In the event of missed connections, passengers with a single ticket would have rights to assistance, rerouting, refunds, and compensation.
Ticketing platforms will need to display offers in a neutral and transparent manner, including based on greenhouse gas emissions, where possible.
The proposals will be sent to the European Parliament and the EU Council for examination in the ordinary legislative procedure.
The European Commission has proposed a new legislative package to simplify the planning and booking of travel in Europe, focusing on regional, long-distance, and cross-border railway journeys. The three proposals aim to make it easier to combine services operated by different companies and to ensure better protection for railway passengers throughout their journey.
The Commission states that currently, comparing all available options and identifying more sustainable travel alternatives remains difficult for EU passengers, especially in the case of cross-border routes and railway tickets. Many passengers encounter obstacles when trying to combine different transport services.
The issue is more visible in the case of multi-leg train journeys, when tickets are issued by different companies. The Commission shows that these bookings can be complex due to fragmented booking systems and the strong market presence of certain railway companies.
The proposals would allow passengers to find, compare, and purchase combined services from different railway operators in a single ticket, in a single transaction, on a ticketing platform of their choice. This can be an independent platform or the ticket sales service of a railway operator.
The concept of "single ticket" applies when a passenger purchases a multi-operator railway journey on a single platform and in a single commercial transaction. The ticket may include services operated by different railway companies.
The Commission proposes that passengers with a single ticket should benefit from full protection if they miss a connection between different railway services, even if these are operated by different companies. The protection would include assistance, rerouting, refunds, and compensation.
If a connection is missed during a journey covered by a single ticket, the railway company that caused the disruption will be responsible for the passenger's rights. These rights include the choice between rerouting to the final destination without additional costs or refunding the single ticket, assistance, including drinks, meals, or accommodation if an overnight stay is necessary, and compensation for total delays, except in cases where the passenger requested a refund.
Railway companies whose connections were lost due to disruption will have to offer the continuation of the journey with their next service. This would allow passengers to use the next available train to continue their journey.
The proposed rules stipulate that single tickets cannot be segmented into multiple separate tickets. If a platform offers a ticket from station A to station B and another ticket from station B to station C, the passenger must have the option, on the same platform, to purchase a single ticket for the journey from A to C, via B.
The minimum connection time will play an important role. When ticket sellers or tour operators do not respect minimum connection times at booking, railway companies will no longer be responsible for the passenger's rights if they miss the connection. In this case, the passenger will be able to request a full refund of the single ticket or reimbursement of the necessary costs to continue the journey, plus compensation of 75% of the value of the single ticket.
The Commission also proposes new obligations for ticketing platforms and operators to ensure fair access to ticket sales and neutral presentation of travel options. Platforms will need to display offers in a neutral manner, including sorting by greenhouse gas emissions, where feasible.
The package defines criteria such as price, duration, departure time, and greenhouse gas emissions for the initial implicit display of options. Platforms will be able to offer additional filters, allowing users to customize their search based on preferences.
The Commission justifies the intervention by the lack of transparency in the ticketing market. Cases of competition at the European and national levels have shown that actors with a strong market position can sometimes impose unfair contractual conditions on smaller players.
In the railway ticket market, the most important and visible online ticketing services are often owned by railway operators, who may have an interest in limiting the visibility of direct competitors. The Commission shows that this situation can hinder new operators' access to alternative distribution channels and can lead to incomplete offers on both independent platforms and those owned by operators.
The new rules will allow all transport operators to enter into fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory commercial agreements with ticketing platforms, and vice versa. If the parties do not reach an agreement within eight months, the national regulatory authority will be able to establish the terms of the agreement within six months of receiving a complaint.
Regardless of the existence of an agreement, within 12 months of the regulation coming into force, all essential online railway ticketing services will have to display all available railway services operated in their country and integrate them into search results.
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The package imposes a hosting obligation only on a limited number of online ticketing services. This refers to services owned by railway companies with at least a 50% market share in the domestic passenger railway transport market. If another railway operator requests ticket sales on such a platform, the platform will have to offer tickets alongside other services.
The obligation for railway operators to make tickets available to online platforms will apply to all railway companies and entities responsible for organizing railway services, at the request of a platform. There are three exceptions: services operated by SMEs, strictly historical or tourist services that do not normally cover regular transport needs, and services on autonomous networks intended exclusively for urban or suburban rail transport.
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The sharing obligation will cover both domestic and cross-border services. It does not apply to multimodal tickets, for example, those common in urban transport, if the relevant railway tickets can be purchased separately as exclusively railway tickets.
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Railway operators will have to put tickets on sale at least five months before the operation of a service, if the service has been included in the train schedule. This requirement will not prevent fare adjustments or the addition of new services. Tickets for newly introduced services must be put on sale without delay after their inclusion in the train schedule.
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The Commission argues that the package will create fairer conditions in the ticketing market and will allow smaller companies to compete more fairly with larger players. Smaller operators could obtain fairer agreements with major online platforms, while smaller platforms could negotiate better terms with dominant railway operators.
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Travel agencies, both online and offline, would benefit from the obligation of commercial partners to display travel options in a neutral manner. This could allow agencies to more easily choose the best option for clients.
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The European executive believes that the package will make rail transport more accessible and convenient for passengers, which could increase the number of those choosing the train. The Commission links this proposal to the EU's climate goals and the promotion of long-distance and cross-border rail transport.
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"With this package, we are moving from building networks to serving passengers. Rail connectivity is not just a matter of transport; it is a matter of cohesion and a matter of a single market. When we reduce fragmentation and make borders less visible, we strengthen our internal market and ensure that living in a border region or a rural area is not a disadvantage. This is also part of the Right to Remain agenda: the freedom to remain starts with the ability to connect," said Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice President for Cohesion and Reforms.
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"Freedom of movement is one of Europe's greatest achievements. Today, we take it a step further, making travel in all 27 member states simpler, smarter, and more passenger-friendly. With digital tools and integrated mobility services, Europeans will be able, with a single click, to plan, compare, and purchase cross-border multimodal journeys, while benefiting at the same time from stronger rights for railway passengers, more transparency, and better protection at every step of the journey," said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
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Following the Commission's announcement, the proposed regulations will be sent to the EU Council and the European Parliament for examination in the ordinary legislative procedure. The Commission shows that for the development of integrated booking and ticketing systems, member states need to accelerate and implement the rules of the Directive on Intelligent Transport Systems regarding the sharing of multimodal data through national access points.
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The passenger package comes against the backdrop of public demand for smoother travel solutions and more reliable online booking systems. The Commission mentions a recent Eurobarometer survey showing strong demand for such solutions.
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In her political guidelines, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented a vision in which Europeans can buy a single ticket on a single platform and benefit from passenger rights for the entire journey. This ambition was reaffirmed in the mission letter addressed to the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
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The proposals also support the EU action plan to boost long-distance and cross-border rail transport, as well as the plan to connect Europe through high-speed trains. In practice, the package aims to better align the ticketing market with passenger rights, fair competition, and the EU's climate goals.
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