The EU wants to create a single system for booking tickets as early as next year that promises to simplify travel and make the train a more attractive alternative to flying.
The European Union is preparing to introduce a unified ticket reservation system by train by 2025, simplifying travel across multiple European destinations with a single ticket and a streamlined travel itinerary.
This initiative aims to make sustainable train travel more accessible by addressing both the logistical challenges and concerns regarding the costs currently associated with cross-border train travel in Europe.
Currently, travelers face several obstacles, including using multiple booking platforms and adapting to different railway timetables and ticketing systems, writes .
For those who are committed to traveling sustainably, train travel often ends up being significantly more expensive than economy flights, which presents a dilemma for environmentally conscious travelers. However, this new system aims to reduce these obstacles by providing an easy alternative that allows you to plot an entire itinerary on a single ticket, potentially reducing costs and increasing convenience.
European Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, a strong advocate of sustainable and affordable transport, supports the system, describing it as a long-awaited breakthrough.
Tzitzikostas, who predicts that train travel will become as simple as booking a flight. “It’s unbelievable that we still don’t have this in 2024,” he points out, defending other transformative projects, such as a high-speed rail network connecting European capitals, along with an expansion of night train routes.
The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), which represents more than 70 railway companies, expressed strong support, highlighting that digitalization is key to modernizing transport in Europe.
While platforms such as Rail Europe and Omio currently provide cross-border train tickets, they continue to split journeys into separate legs, a limitation this unified system will eliminate. For travelers, this means a reduced risk of missed calls or having to make expensive new reservations, which is an advantage especially for those with tight schedules or budgets.
As night trains and high-speed routes continue to expand, the new ticketing system promises to make train travel more attractive for both adventure seekers and wallet-conscious travelers.
