Europe is moving closer to seamless, sustainable travel. Today industry leaders, and research experts met at the European Parliament in Brussels for a lunch debate on “Unlocking Seamless Multimodality in Europe: Enabling Passenger-Centric Air-Rail Integration through Policy, Data, and Collaboration.”
The event was hosted by MEP Sophia Kircher, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, and co-organised by three EU-funded projects – SIGN-AIR, MultiModX, and TRAVELWISE – with SIGN-AIR and MultiModX supported by the SESAR Joint Undertaking, and TRAVELWISE supported jointly by Europe’s Rail and SESAR. Together, they presented complementary perspectives on how to build a connected, passenger-focused transport system across Europe.
“Europe grows together through its transport networks – by rail, by road, and by air. But true European connectivity can only succeed when ticketing, the systems, and the standards are aligned. That’s the way forward!”, said MEP Sophia Kircher, Host of the event.
Representing SESAR JU, Executive Director Andreas Boschen emphasised the importance of seamless multimodal travel, noting: “Air transport does not exist in isolation — making journeys truly seamless means aviation must connect effectively with the wider mobility ecosystem. That is why we are working to make seamless, multimodal travel a reality, so passengers can move smoothly between air, rail, and other modes, with reliable information and minimal hassle.”
Passengers Still Navigate a Fragmented System
Today, 90% of multimodal air-rail journeys are self-assembled by passengers, who must manage separate tickets, prices, and disruption responses. As Delphine Grandsart from the European Passengers’ Federation noted, travellers still lack simple answers to basic questions: What happens if my train to the airport is delayed? How do I compare options? Who protects me if I miss a connection? “Passengers shouldn’t need to be detectives to plan a simple journey. Today they face different tickets, different rules, different websites – and no guarantee if something goes wrong between modes. If Europe wants people to choose sustainable travel, it must give them seamless information, fair prices, and real protection across the whole journey, not just each leg.”
Research Projects Deliver Concrete Multimodal Solutions
SIGN-AIR
Develops the legal, contractual, and data-sharing foundations for multimodality – including smart data-sharing agreements, interoperability templates, and tools to identify and validate combined air-rail itineraries.
“Multimodality will never work without trust, and trust starts with transparent data and clear rules. Today, every operator uses different standards, different contracts, and different assumptions. SIGN-AIR is building the missing legal and data foundation — so that air and rail can finally exchange information reliably, synchronise schedules, and offer passengers a single, seamless journey instead of disconnected pieces.” said Ismini Stroumpou, SIGN-AIR Project Coordinator.
MultiModX
Provides open-source tools for performance assessment, schedule optimisation, and disruption management across air-rail networks. Case studies show 5-7% more passengers served and significant reductions in missed connections when schedules are synchronised.
“Multimodality cannot be delivered by isolated fixes. Europe needs holistic, data-driven regulation that evaluates door-to-door performance, anticipates unintended consequences, and aligns incentives across air and rail. When we plan, measure, and manage the system as a whole, passengers finally experience the seamless travel we talk about.” said Prof. Andrew Cook, MultiModX.
TRAVELWISE
Delivers real-time multimodal situational awareness and joint operational plans at major hubs including Paris CDG, Amsterdam Schiphol, and Bologna.
“Most multimodal journeys today are self-built by passengers, who must navigate separate tickets, separate systems, and separate rules. TRAVELWISE – co-funded by Europe’s Rail and the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking – changes this by giving operators a shared picture of what is happening across modes. When air, rail, and other transport partners finally see the same information, they can coordinate, react faster during disruptions, and keep the passenger’s journey intact.” said Micol Biscotto, Deep Blue.
*Clear Policy Priorities for the Next EU Mobility Cycle
Speakers converged on five urgent priorities:
- EU-wide integrated ticketing with transparent data access and real-time updates.
- Stronger multimodal passenger rights, including journey continuation and cross-mode reaccommodation.
- Incentives for timetable synchronisation and air-rail cooperation at major hubs.
- A European framework for coordinated multimodal disruption management across operators and modes.
- Investment in open mobility data and modelling to support performance-driven policy.
Why Now?
New EU proposals (MDMS, SDBTR), revised passenger rights, and maturing multimodal technologies give Europe a unique opportunity to turn decades of ambition into real, passenger-facing services.
“2026 will decide whether multimodality becomes the European passenger norm – or stays a patchwork of systems,” concluded the organisers.
Contacts
SIGN-AIR – sign-air.eu
MultiModX – multimodx.eu
TRAVELWISE – travelwise.eu
Read about SESAR JU’s multimodal innovation