• This month, at a meeting in Brussels, European Transport Ministers called on the EU to make rail the backbone of European mobility.

• They want legislation so that “passengers can easily compare, book and pay for their door-to-door train journey in a trans-European perspective“.

• It must be possible for travellers to book door-to-door journeys across the EU using ground-based public transport at the same App or website – in one single transaction – with rail as the backbone of the trip.

The vast majority of passenger journeys within the EU (80%!) use the private individual motor car. The car is highly convenient, offering door-to-door journeys, but it is also one of the least eco-friendly modes of transport.

Meanwhile, advances in ground public transport tech mean it is possible to book door-to-door journeys combining first-and-last-mile public transport at the same App or website, in the same single transaction – if the data is shared.

European transport ministers know that a “90% reduction in transport emissions is needed by 2050”. EPF Chairman Josef Schneider points out that “only complete and reliable information before the journey, when buying the ticket, and during the journey allows customers to decide according to their needs“.

ALLRAIL Secretary General Nick Brooks says “all taxpayer-funded ground transport operators must share their data to be integrated into single, door-to-door online bookings that will rival the convenience of the private motor car. This way, they would better serve EU citizens who are paying for these services”.

Any future new EU initiative on Multimodal Digital Mobility Services (MDMS) must ensure that all public transport services share their data. This should apply in the transport companies’ own interest, regardless of the type and financing of transport.