Towards EU-wide Multimodal Ticketing Systems

Policy brief – The European transport system is unique in the world in the variety of transport mode it offers to European travellers. Most European cities offer well-developed urban public transport systems which are increasingly complemented with a wide array of micromobility schemes (bike-sharing, e-scooters, to name a few). The rail transport network connects the whole continent, with the European Union pushing for more than 20 years for the set-up of a European single railway area allowing travellers to go seamlessly from one country to the other. The European Union has also spent 23.7 billion € since 2001 in the development of a European high-speed rail network, connecting all parts of Europe to major cities and hubs.
The EU should therefore be leading multimodal offerings globally: its transport system provides unique possibilities for the combination of all modes of transport, making travel more efficient but also more sustainable, allowing travellers to adopt the less polluting modes of transport whenever possible.