EU passenger package: one journey, one ticket

The European Commission has proposed new rules to make seamless travel across Europe a reality. On 13 May 2026, three proposals were adopted in order to simplify planning and booking for regional, long-distance and cross-border travel, particularly for rail journeys involving multiple operators, and ensure better protection for rail passengers for the entire journey. The Commission stated that in 2020, rail transport accounted for 5.1% of passenger transport between EU countries and 11.5% of freight transport between EU countries, but for only 0.4% of greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the EU. Rail transport is also highly energy efficient, accounting for only 0.6% of the energy consumption of all modes of transport within the EU. It also has clear socio-economic benefits, a high level of safety and the capacity to promote territorial cohesion.

The Commission emphasized that an efficient ticketing system is essential for the functioning of the railway passenger market. However, for consumers, buying rail tickets is too difficult, especially when travelling cross-border or when the trip involves the use of trains from multiple operators. The Commission also highlighted that currently, the ticketing market lacks transparency. In the rail ticketing market, the most important and visible online ticketing services are owned by rail operators, who have an incentive to limit the visibility of their direct competitors. Given the powerful position of these operator-owned ticketing platforms, it can be very difficult for new entrant operators to find a good alternative to distribute their tickets.

The proposals address existing (including the above mentioned) obstacles of cross-border travel. To create a smoother travel experience for passengers and advance the EU’s climate objectives, the Commission proposes measures enabling single-ticket bookings across multiple rail operators, making the rail market more transparent and accessible. The aim of the proposals is to enable passengers to find, compare and purchase services combined from different rail operators into one single ticket, which can be bought in one transaction on a ticketing platform of their choice. This can be an independent platform or the rail operator’s ticketing service. Following the Commission’s announcement, the Commission submitted the proposed regulations to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament for consideration under the ordinary legislative procedure.