On 13 May, the European Commission unveiled its Passenger Package, a legislative push to overhaul the continent's fragmented rail ticketing system. Dubbed 'One journey, one ticket,' the initiative aims to let travellers combine segments from different operators into a single digital booking, with full legal protections for delays and cancellations.
Under the new rules, passengers will be entitled to rerouting, assistance, accommodation, and compensation — 25% of the ticket price for delays of 60 to 119 minutes, and 50% for delays of 120 minutes or more. The package mandates that operators share real-time data with third-party platforms, breaking the grip of national monopolies that have long restricted ticket sales to their own websites.
The Fragmented Reality of European Rail
Currently, one in five international rail journeys on the continent's busiest corridors cannot be booked as a unified ticket through major operator platforms. For trips exceeding 900 kilometres, that figure rises to more than half. A 2025 Eurobarometer survey found that 25% of Europeans struggle to book multi-leg train journeys, and 43% avoid them altogether due to the hassle of using multiple apps. Planning a sustainable continental train ride takes, on average, 70% longer than booking a commercial flight.
Green MEP Lena Schilling highlighted the absurdity of the status quo: 'When you want to travel from Paris to Barcelona, there is a train ticket on the French booking service, but you can't book it if you're Spanish over your own booking system. It's the same train, the same connection, but one booking app shows it because it's a direct train, and on the Spanish side it's not.'
Breaking Monopolies and Regional Isolation
Dominant national rail operators have historically protected their market shares by restricting access to ticket data, preventing independent platforms like Trainline from displaying or selling their full range of fares. Schilling noted that operators 'are afraid to lose customers' by sharing connections. This digital gridlock isolates border regions and undermines the EU's goal of a single, integrated economic market, while commercial aviation seamlessly links European cities.
The Passenger Package builds on earlier reforms, including the 2012 Single European Railway Area Directive, which allowed railway companies to operate across the EU under a unified legal framework, and the 2021 Rail Passenger Rights Regulation, which established minimum standards for compensation and information. Unlike previous packages focused on market opening and safety, this one directly tackles the ticketing bottleneck.
For passengers, the benefits are clear: a single website or app will display all available options for a multi-leg journey, allowing one-click purchase. Larger providers must show all railway services in their country, not just their own. The reform also strengthens enforcement, with national regulators empowered to impose fines for non-compliance.
The initiative aligns with broader EU efforts to boost sustainable travel, as seen in related proposals like the EU's single-ticket system to boost cross-border rail travel. It also addresses practical challenges faced by travellers, such as those highlighted in Portugal's upcoming nationwide strike, which could disrupt rail services.
While the package has been welcomed by passenger advocacy groups, implementation will require coordination among 27 member states and the wider European rail network, including the UK, Switzerland, Norway, and the Balkans. The Commission aims to have the system operational by 2027, pending approval from the European Parliament and Council.
