The European Commission has proposed new rules to simplify travel planning and booking in Europe, with a focus on regional, long-distance, and cross-border rail transport. The package aims to make it easier for passengers to buy a single ticket for journeys operated by multiple rail companies and to enjoy full rights along the entire route.
The proposals address one of the biggest problems facing European rail transport: the fragmentation of booking systems. Currently, passengers who want to combine trains operated by different companies are often forced to search for tickets on multiple platforms, manually compare options, and face greater risks if they miss a connection.
According to the European Commission, the new rules should allow passengers to find, compare, and purchase combined services from multiple rail operators in a single ticket, through a single transaction, on the ticketing platform of their choice. This can be an independent platform or a rail operator’s sales service.
Full rights for the entire journey
One of the key changes concerns passenger protection in the event of missed connections. If a rail journey involving multiple operators is purchased as a single ticket, passengers would be entitled to full rights along the entire route.
These rights include assistance, re-routing, refunds, and compensation in the event of problems during the journey. Currently, protection may be limited when a journey is split into multiple tickets issued by different operators.
The European Commission notes that the issue is particularly important for cross-border travel, where passengers often have to combine regional services, long-distance trains, and international connections.
Platforms will have to display offers neutrally
The package also introduces new obligations for ticket sales platforms and transport operators. The aim is for all companies to have fair access to ticket sales and for travel options to be presented in a neutral manner.
Platforms will have to display offers without discrimination and, where possible, allow sorting based on greenhouse gas emissions. The rules aim to ensure that transport operators and ticketing platforms can enter into fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory commercial agreements.
This part of the proposal is also relevant to rail competition. Smaller operators or new market entrants have repeatedly argued that visibility on sales platforms is essential to compete with the major incumbent operators.
Why Brussels Wants the Change
The European Commission argues that it is still difficult for passengers to compare all available options and identify the most sustainable choices, especially for cross-border travel. The problems are particularly acute in rail transport, where booking systems remain fragmented and some companies have a very strong market presence.
The proposals are part of the direction announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to which Europeans should be able to buy a single ticket on a single platform, benefiting from passenger rights for the entire journey. This ambition has also been carried forward in the mandate of the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
The package also contributes to the EU’s action plan to boost long-distance and cross-border rail transport, as well as to the plan to connect Europe via high-speed rail lines. In November 2025, the Commission announced a plan to accelerate the high-speed rail network, which also included a proposal to improve cross-border ticketing and reservation systems.
Negotiations with the European Parliament and the Council are next
The proposals will be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, which will review them under the ordinary legislative procedure. This means that the rules do not apply immediately, but must be negotiated and adopted by the two institutions.
The European Commission also notes that Member States must accelerate the implementation of the rules in the Intelligent Transport Systems Directive, particularly those relating to the sharing of multimodal data through national access points. This data is necessary for the development of truly integrated booking and ticketing systems.
If adopted, the new rules could change the way passengers book international rail trips in Europe. The goal is simple: a single search, a single ticket, and clear rights throughout the journey, even when trains are operated by different companies.
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