EUROPE – The European Commission proposed a comprehensive package of three regulations on May 13 designed to simplify the booking of multi-leg rail journeys across Europe. The new rules aim to establish a framework for single-ticket bookings across different operators and expand passenger rights during disruptions.
The proposals to improve international rail ticketing were first included in the Commission’s 2022 Work Programme, but progress stalled. In 2023, then-Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean announced a draft ‘Multimodal Digital Mobility Services Regulation’, which later disappeared from the agenda.
Today, travellers face significant obstacles when comparing or booking multi-leg rail journeys. Fragmented booking systems make it difficult to combine services from different rail operators. To tackle these challenges, the proposed Passenger Package introduces three legislative proposals: a Regulation on Rail Ticketing, a Regulation on Multimodal Booking and a revision of the Rail Passenger Rights Regulation. These are designed to enable passengers to purchase services from multiple rail operators in a single transaction through their preferred ticketing platform.
The legislative texts will now proceed to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for formal debate. To develop seamless booking and ticketing systems, EU Member States must also speed up implementation of the Intelligent Transport Systems Directive’s rules on sharing multimodal transport data on national access points, says the Commission.
Bridging the ticketing gap
A central pillar of the Passenger Package is the introduction of a single ticket concept for multi-operator trips. Travellers possessing a single ticket should receive full passenger rights protection in the event of missed connections. This protection includes rights to assistance, rerouting, reimbursement and compensation.
Furthermore, the package mandates that online ticketing platforms display travel offers neutrally. Platforms will also need to allow users to sort travel options by greenhouse gas emissions. This requirement will highlight the climate footprint of different trips to consumers.
The Multimodal Booking Regulation applies to digital mobility services that offer passenger transport by air, rail, bus, coach, and waterborne vessels. However, it explicitly excludes local transport services whose main purpose is to serve the needs of an urban centre or conurbation, such as trams and metros.
Strict vendor liabilities and exemptions
As part of the proposals, ticket vendors and tour operators must respect minimum connection times when offering combined tickets. If they fail to do so and a connection is missed, they will face strict financial penalties. They will be liable to reimburse the passenger and pay an additional compensation of 75% of the single ticket value.
Conversely, the proposals include specific limitations regarding compensation for very long journeys. For journeys exceeding 12 h, delay compensation will be calculated per individual transport contract rather than the total price. Night train services and tickets comprising a single through ticket are exempt from this specific limitation.
Mixed reactions
Environmental groups and industry representatives offered contrasting views on the proposals. Transport & Environment stated that the new guarantee provides more security for long-distance passengers. Georgia Whitaker, Rail Campaign Manager at T&E, said: ‘Today we saw a huge leap forward for rail passengers rights.’ However, the group highlights that the rules proposed ‘will not require major rail operators platforms to sell tickets for most multi-leg cross-border trips’.
T&E said this ‘risks undermining the very reason for this legislation at a time when the EU should be making it easier for passengers to book low-carbon trips at a time of soaring jet fuel costs.’ It recommends that major rail operators should be required to sell tickets across all available rail routes that passengers frequently fly or drive.
The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) on the other hand strongly criticised the proposals, calling them ‘unjustified regulatory interventionism’. It cautioned against the proposed mandatory distribution requirements, saying it could lead to higher ticket prices and undermine industry investments. CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola further criticised the exclusion of the aviation sector from the rules. Indeed, aviation is treated differently depending on the specific regulation within the newly proposed Passenger Package. It is included in the overarching multimodal booking rules but excluded from the specific ticketing and passenger rights regulations.
Mazzola stated: “Today’s proposals favour big digital platforms, risk increasing ticket prices, undermine railways’ investments in innovation and set aviation apart rather than promoting fair competition.”
Emmanuel Mounier, Secretary General of the EU Travel Tech association, representing travel technology companies, is a lot more positive, describing the rail ticketing regulation as a ‘potential gamechanger’. However, he criticised the multimodal booking proposal. Mounier stated: ‘We are concerned that this Regulation may have the exact opposite effect to what the Commission intends to achieve, severely harming the competitiveness of the independent intermediaries the Commission wants to support with this package through the Rail Ticketing Regulation.’