Is the EU betting on a ‘one-ticket’ plan to make rail like flying?

For a generation, €19.99 flights became standard. Companies like Ryanair not only transported people but also reduced perceived distances. Studying abroad became routine, and weekend trips to cities like Lisbon were commonplace. As a result, Europe felt smaller, and the concept of being European evolved.

Now the Commission wants rail to trigger the same transformation. Not because of prices, but because of comfort.

Brussels presented its "one journey, one ticket" proposal: rules to allow searching, booking, and paying for a multi-operator, cross-border rail journey in a single transaction, with full passenger rights covering the entire trip if something goes wrong.

Brussels is moving with intent. Transport is the EU's only sector where emissions continue to rise. Sixty percent of Europeans give up on booking trains because the process is a maze, according to Transport & Environment.

"We have half the routes you can fly with no train connection at all," says Lena Schilling, a Green MEP involved in the parliamentary discussions. "And then we tell people, you can always choose. But the truth is, we are not there yet."