Secure your seat on global train journeys, equating the convenience of air travel - Arranging international train journeys, replicating the process of booking a flight ticket
International Train Travel Set for Simplification with OSDM Adoption
Europeans can soon purchase international train tickets with greater ease, thanks to the Deutsche Bahn's (DB) integration with a unified technical interface. By the end of 2026, the DB will be able to sell tickets from neighboring countries' major trains directly through bahn.de and the DB Navigator app.
Michael Peterson, DB's long-distance traffic board member, noted that the market for international long-distance travel was booming, with the state-owned company recording a 22% growth in 2024 compared to 2019, its strongest year in the sector. Despite this positive trend, obstacles persist in cross-border train travel.
One substantial hurdle lies in ticket purchasing, as several tickets are often required for cross-border trips, which need to be individually bought. This process can be inconvenient, and passenger rights, such as compensation for missed connections, are not always applicable. Additionally, technical problems commonly arise when a train line crosses national borders, affecting power supply, track width, language skills of train drivers, and more.
To address these challenges, European railways have agreed to implement the OSDM (Open Sales and Distribution Model) standard by autumn 2025. This move will enable the DB to access the entire ticket portfolio of relevant railways and vice versa, making it easier for passengers to purchase tickets.
The OSDM standard's first adopters will be the Austrian and Swiss federal railways ÖBB and SBB, followed by additional partners month by month. By the end of 2026, the majority of Europe should be covered, bringing international rail ticket booking one step closer to a unified, user-friendly process.
While OSDM implementation offers benefits, such as easy international journey booking and direct price information, it also presents challenges for some market participants, particularly new entrants. Flix, a train competitor, has expressed concerns about costs and complex implementation associated with OSDM adoption.
The need for more streamlined international rail travel has been recognized at the European level. The European Commission supports new connections like the proposed Munich-Rome route and aims to reduce the complexity of cross-border rail journeys for citizens. In the coming months, the Commission will present legislative proposals on uniform digital booking and ticketing services to facilitate a single-ticket booking process across multiple providers.
DB's Peterson supports the Commission's goals and believes that the proposed regulations align with their objectives. However, concerns remain about potential regulatory obstacles if the Commission introduces different standards in 2026, as the DB has already invested time and resources in the OSDM standard's implementation.
In the vast landscape of international rail travel, new connections are like beacons piercing through the fog. While progress is being made, much work remains to be done to create a truly integrated and user-friendly European rail network.
Sources: [1][2][3][4]
- As the European Commission strives to reduce complexity in cross-border rail journeys, it aims to establish a single-ticket booking process across multiple providers, potentially seamlessly integrating the lifestyle options offered by technology-driven providers such as Flix with the EC countries' existing railways.
- The proposed Munich-Rome route, embodying the European Commission's vision for new connections, could leverage the OSDM standard's increased freedom to provide services, establishing a freer movement of workers and greater connectivity among EC countries, ultimately enhancing the overall lifestyle experiences for European travelers.
