Brussels: The European Commission has unveiled plans to streamline rail travel across Europe by introducing a 'one journey, one ticket' system.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Commission's new proposals are designed to simplify the planning and booking process for regional, long-distance, and cross-border rail journeys, particularly those involving multiple operators.

The Commission's statement highlights the challenges passengers face when comparing travel options, especially for cross-border journeys. It addresses the obstacles in combining different transport services and the complexities involved in booking multi-leg train journeys with tickets from various companies. The proposed measures aim to create a smoother travel experience and further the EU's climate objectives by enabling single-ticket bookings across multiple rail operators, thus making the rail market more transparent and accessible.

Passengers will have the ability to find and purchase combined services from different rail operators on a single ticket. This ticket can be acquired through the ticketing platform of their choice, an independent platform, or a rail operator's service. In cases of missed connections during multi-operator rail journeys, passengers with a single ticket will benefit from full passenger rights protection, including assistance, rerouting, reimbursement, and compensation.

The proposals also outline new obligations for ticketing platforms and operators to ensure fair access to ticket sales and the neutral presentation of travel options. Following the announcement, the Commission plans to submit the proposed regulations to the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament for consideration under the ordinary legislative procedure.