Transport & Environment (T&E), via analysis from a new YouGov poll for T&E, reports that two thirds of long-distance rail travellers (61%) have avoided using trains due to booking hassle at least once.
The difficulties of booking train tickets across separate rail operators are turning away many long-distance travellers, the report suggests.
It also suggested that 43% of long-distance rail users would use rail more for long distance travel if booking online was easier.
And that the EU should mandate ticket sharing and competitor display in upcoming law to make rail a more attractive and competitive option.
When asked what changes they would support, 46% said they want to be able to book all their rail trips on a single platform, while 42% said operators’ booking platforms should show all available trains for a given route.
By contrast, only 10% think the current system, where train companies decide where their tickets are sold, is preferable. These results underline the urgent need for change.
T&E has called not only for mandatory ticket sharing, but also for operators to display competitors’ journeys, as legacy operators’ booking websites and apps dominate the market.
Rail policy manager at T&E, Victor Thévenet, said: “Long-distance travellers face unnecessarily burdensome booking processes by design.
“This must change if rail is to be a real alternative for cross‑border travel.
“The EU should ensure travellers can book in just a few clicks so rail travel is no worse than other modes. The EU’s Single Ticketing Package in early 2026 is a key opportunity to make this happen.”
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