STRASBOURG, July 18: The EU should make train travel easier by creating a "single booking system" across the 27-country bloc, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Thursday.
The European Commission president suggested the idea in a document just before EU lawmakers began voting on whether to hand her another term.
"We will propose a Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation, to ensure that Europeans can buy one single ticket on one single platform," she said in the document.
Europe wants to develop its creaking cross-border rail system as part of its target to cut carbon emissions, since train travel is significantly decarbonised.
But such ambitions rub up against the fragmentation of the European network, broken into national systems.
"To achieve our climate objectives, we also need to make it easier for people to shift to more sustainable options," von der Leyen said.
"Cross-border train travel is still too difficult for many citizens. People should be able to use open booking systems to purchase trans-European journeys with several providers, without losing their right to reimbursement or compensatory travel," she added.
EU lawmakers in March voted for better railway coordination in the bloc through improved traffic planning, financing and maintenance work.
They pointed to the fact that between 1990 and 2021, the EU's rail network shrank by more than 12,000 kilometres (7,500 miles).
The European Parliament will vote later on Thursday on whether to keep von der Leyen in her role for another five years.
She is expected to clinch the vote, but needs the support of political groups from across the political spectrum. —AFP
