The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) has released its fifth progress report on the CER Ticketing Roadmap, introduced in late 2021. This roadmap sets out the sector’s vision for ticketing and distribution improvements by 2025 and 2030, aiming to enhance the passenger experience within the Single European Railway Area. CER members remain committed to supporting the European Commission’s efforts to simplify digital booking and ticketing, with key milestones expected to be reached by the end of 2025.
CER monitors progress through biannual surveys conducted among passenger rail operators, with findings presented to the CER General Assembly. The latest report summarises the survey results from November and December 2024, outlining progress and areas requiring further action.
Development of multilateral ticketing solutions is progressing well, with implementation timelines largely confirmed. Any reported delays are being addressed collaboratively between affected railways and the central project team.
A key element of the roadmap is the Online Sales & Distribution Model (OSDM), which plays a crucial role in enabling seamless ticketing. In 2024, Sweden adopted OSDM as its national standard for ticket distribution, benefiting retailers and distributors. Other CER members are also upgrading their systems to ensure OSDM compatibility. While progress varies across networks, significant updates are expected throughout the year. The system, developed in collaboration with third-party ticket vendors, is also interoperable with other formats such as the Network Exchange Format (NeTEx) for timetable data.
In addition, Lithuanian operator LTG Link has announced plans to join the CIT Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) from 1 April 2025. This agreement ensures passengers can continue their journeys at no extra cost in the event of major delays or disruptions on multi-operator routes. The AJC already covers over 90% of CER members’ passenger traffic in the EU, and CER is encouraging more railway operators to join to strengthen passenger rights across Europe.
The next monitoring survey will take place in April and May 2025, with key findings to be shared after review by CER members.
“The full and timely implementation of the CER Ticketing Roadmap remains a top priority for CER members, as reaffirmed at the latest CER General Assembly. To improve international rail ticketing, we once again urge the European Commission to incorporate OSDM into the TSI TA Regulation (Technical Specification for Interoperability, Telematics Applications). The revision of this regulation should not be finalised without ensuring that the sector’s ongoing investments are safeguarded. The Roadmap’s second phase (2026-2030) will address rail in the multimodal context, improving the rail passenger experience on journeys involving multiple transport modes,” CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola said.
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