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On 13 May, the European Commission announced that travelling by train across Europe will become easier. The new Passenger Package offers citizens smoother booking options and stronger passenger rights.
A 2025 Eurobarometer survey found that 25 per cent of respondents struggle to book multi-operator rail tickets. 22 percent cite limited options on ticketing platforms, and 76 per cent feel discouraged from cross-border travel due to the absence of single-ticket solutions.
The way Europeans purchase tickets for regional, long-distance, and cross-border train journeys will change. By eliminating the need to book separate tickets across different platforms, the package makes a single-ticket multi-leg trip possible.
Europeans will be able to find, compare, and purchase services offered by multiple rail companies into one single ticket through a single transaction on their preferred ticketing platform.
In the event of a missed train connection on a multi-operator journey, passengers will receive assistance, rerouting, reimbursement and compensation. Currently, protection exists only when tickets are issued by individual railway companies.
To this end, member states must accelerate the implementation of the EU’s Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Directive on advanced information technologies for cross-border transport networks.
With the single ticket, the Commission also wants to ensure fair competition in the ticketing market by requiring larger actors to present offers neutrally.
The Commission will send its proposal to the Parliament and the Council for review and approval.
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