EU proposes one-journey one-ticket

The European Commission on May 13 proposed a new “one journey, one ticket” framework that would let passengers book rail trips involving multiple operators in a single transaction and keep passenger-rights protection for the full journey. The package is aimed at regional, long-distance and cross-border travel, with rail at the center of the plan because booking multi-operator trips remains fragmented across the bloc. The core change is that a traveler would be able to find, compare and buy services combined from different rail operators as one single ticket on a platform of their choice, whether that is an independent seller or a railway company’s own site. The Commission said current booking systems make it hard for passengers to compare options, especially across borders, and that the market remains shaped by the strong position of some incumbent rail companies. (transport.ec.europa.eu) A missed connection is the point of the proposal. Under the draft revision to the Rail Passenger Rights Regulation, passengers holding a single ticket for a multi-operator rail journey would gain full protection for the entire trip, including assistance, rerouting, reimbursement and compensation if a delay or cancellation causes them to miss the next leg. The Commission said that today many such journeys do not qualify as through-tickets under existing EU law even when they are bought in one transaction on a booking platform. (transport.ec.europa.eu) The legal text published in Brussels on May 13 says the problem is most visible on long-distance and cross-border trips that require several railway undertakings. In those cases, passengers can be left without rights after a disruption because the different legs are not treated as one protected journey. The Commission said voluntary industry arrangements such as Agreement on Journey Continuation and HOTNAT exist, but called them partial and non-binding solutions that do not provide uniform protection across the European Union. (transport.ec.europa.eu) Ticketing platforms and operators would also face new obligations. The Commission said platforms would have to display offers in a neutral way, including sorting by greenhouse-gas emissions where feasible, and operators and platforms would need to be able to conclude fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory commercial agreements for ticket sales. The Commission said those rules are meant to widen access to ticket distribution and make the rail market more transparent. (transport.ec.europa.eu) The May 13 package is broader than rail alone. The Commission described it as three proposals designed to simplify planning and booking across Europe and improve passenger protection for the entire journey, while also tying the changes to the bloc’s climate goals and efforts to shift travelers toward rail and other lower-emissions transport. President Ursula von der Leyen had previously called for an initiative that would allow Europeans to buy one single ticket on one platform and be covered by passenger rights for the whole trip. (transport.ec.europa.eu) The current rules already contain some through-ticket obligations. The Commission said the 2021 revision of the rail passenger-rights regime required rail companies that qualify as a “sole undertaking” to offer through-tickets in some cases, but it said those obligations are limited and do not cover many journeys involving different operators. That gap is what the new proposal is meant to address. (transport.ec.europa.eu) The next step is legislative. The Commission said the proposed regulations will now be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for consideration under the ordinary legislative procedure, where both institutions can amend the texts before any final law is adopted. (transport.ec.europa.eu 1) (transport.ec.europa.eu 2)