Two leading European passenger organisations have welcomed the European Commission‘s proposed overhaul of cross-border rail ticketing and passenger rights, describing it as a major step towards making international rail travel easier. This known as the ‘Passenger Package‘ However, both argue that the legislation still requires significant improvements before it reaches its full potential.

The European Rail Passengers’ Union (ERPU) and Back-on-Track Europe both support the Commission’s proposals on ticketing (COM(2026) 232) and passenger rights (COM(2026) 233), saying they could remove two of the biggest obstacles to international rail travel: fragmented ticket sales and the lack of guaranteed passenger rights when journeys involve multiple railway operators.

Back-on-Track Europe says the proposal is urgently needed to support the decarbonisation of transport and would make many international rail journeys easier to book while giving passengers greater confidence that they will be protected when things go wrong. The organisation believes the package would represent genuine progress if adopted, although it says several provisions should still be strengthened.

Broad support for open ticket sales

Both organisations strongly support the proposed obligation requiring railway companies to make their fares and ticket inventories available to third-party retailers under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) conditions.

ERPU argues that all operators should be required to make their complete ticket inventory available without exceptions, allowing genuinely comprehensive “book any train” platforms to emerge and making it much easier for passengers to compare prices and buy international rail tickets.

Back-on-Track also welcomes the sharing obligation, saying it would finally allow all distributors to display the full range of available trains. It also supports the proposal requiring nationally dominant operators to sell competitors’ tickets, arguing that major platforms such as DB Navigator and SNCF Connect have the scale and customer base to become genuine European booking platforms rather than remaining focused primarily on domestic markets.

Different approaches to passenger rights

The two organisations diverge most clearly on how passenger rights should apply.

ERPU opposes the Commission’s proposal that enhanced rights should only apply when tickets are purchased through a single platform in a single transaction. Instead, it argues that rights should apply whenever passengers have planned a reasonable journey that respects official minimum connection times, regardless of where or how individual tickets were bought. It says travellers should not lose protection simply because they purchased separate tickets or used travel passes such as the Deutschlandticket or Klimaticket.

Back-on-Track broadly supports the Commission’s concept of a ‘single ticket’, but wants the legislation to follow Commission President Ursula von der Leyen‘s original promise of ‘one single ticket on one single platform‘. It argues that passengers should be able to build or modify journeys over time on the same booking platform rather than being forced to buy every ticket in a single transaction. According to the organisation, this would also allow subscription products such as the Deutschlandticket and Klimaticket to be combined with other rail tickets while retaining passenger rights.

Additional improvements proposed

Back-on-Track also makes several recommendations not included in ERPU’s response.

The organisation wants at least some of Europe‘s largest booking platforms to become responsible for selling rail tickets from all operators across Europe, ensuring passengers can plan complete international journeys on a single platform. It also calls for mandatory continuation agreements between railway companies so stranded passengers can always continue their journey, building on existing voluntary schemes such as the Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC).

In addition, Back-on-Track proposes allowing railway operators to request longer minimum connection times for certain services, particularly night trains, to reflect longer boarding procedures and the greater likelihood of delays on long-distance international services.

Finally, the organisation argues that the Commission’s proposed liability rules could place an excessive financial burden on night train operators. It therefore proposes extending liability limits for journeys involving night trains to 36 hours to avoid discouraging further investment in overnight rail services.

Focus on practical implementation

ERPU also argues that the legislation should better explain how passengers will exercise their rights in practice during disruptions. It says travellers should be able to approach station staff or the operator of their connecting train directly for rerouting or accommodation, while any financial responsibility should be resolved afterwards between railway companies rather than involving passengers.

Despite their different priorities, both organisations conclude that the Commission’s proposals provide a solid foundation for improving cross-border rail travel. They are now urging the European Parliament and European Union member states to strengthen the legislation during negotiations so passengers can enjoy simpler ticketing and reliable rights across Europe’s rail network.

• The ERPU feedback.
• The Back-on-Track feedback.

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