A single train ticket for a rail journey across the whole of Europe. This will be possible from the end of the year with the official launch of OSDM, the Open Sales and Distribution Model, unified online ticket sales system for 22 railway undertakings. By the end of 2024, six railway undertakings - SNCF, CFF, Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB, Trenitalia and PKP in Poland - will be applying it. Other rail operators will join the sales system from 2025. Sweden joined the OSDM last April.
OSDM promises to usher in a new era for smoother rail journeys. The system represents a significant advance in rail distribution and the establishment of multi-modal and multi-carrier ecosystems. By adopting OSDM, member railway undertakings will simplify cross-border sales with unprecedented ease. Its implementation is one of the main commitments made by the members of the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER).
No change in booking habits for passengers
For passengers, there will be no perceptible change to their train ticket purchases. Except that each railway company will be offering on a single ticket with a single reservation a journey that may involve several rail operators. This will be the case, for example, for a Paris-Lucerne journey which, for the moment, is the subject of two different reservation files when the journey is purchased on the SNCF. The first for Paris-Basel, the second for Basel-Lucerne.
The CER has worked in two areas: technical specifications and commercial agreements. The first are designed to facilitate thetransparent exchange of data for ticket distribution. The second deals with pricing, revenue sharing and service level agreements. Dealing with these points separately is the most effective way of achieving transparent international rail ticketing.
For Alberto Mazzola, Executive Director of the CER, " The CER's ticketing roadmap has the unequivocal support of its members. The Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM) is the flagship solution of this roadmap. It enables and improves a number of actions, such as the Continuity of Travel Agreement. I call on the European Commission to reference the OSDM in European legislation, as this will stimulate digital investment and accelerate the roll-out of the ERC's ticketing roadmap." .
Better guarantees for travellers in the event of a problem
Another key feature of these OSDM tickets is the guarantee of compensation and re-routing at no extra cost. in the event of delay or cancellation. In addition, by 2030, improvements to the system will extend rail services to other modes of transport, notably public transport. Sweden's adoption of the OSDM is a further step towards the full integration of rail services in Europe. It also serves as a full-scale test. Sweden has become the first country in Europe to incorporate OSDM standards on tickets. This applies to both international and domestic journeys made by all the rail companies operating in Sweden. Sweden has one of the most competitive and open rail markets in the European Union.
