Integrated Ticketing for Air and Rail Transport. How to Coordinate with Urban Public Transport

In 2008, the European Commission (EC) began investigating the potential of integrated ticketing for air and rail transportation at both the information (schedule and price) and reservation level. The EC has suggested that, at a later stage, public transportation should be added to the integrated air-rail ticketing schemes to ensure the continuity of the whole journey. This article examines the appropriateness and feasibility of this proposal. The author contends that the technical solution proposed for integrated air-rail ticketing cannot be extended to public transportation services due to the large numbers of passengers who use public transit versus the relatively small number of air or rail passengers. In addition, local rail and public transit services are provided under public service contracts agreed upon by local operators and authorities, and thus any attempted EC initiatives that would disrupt these contracts are inappropriate. If the goal is seamless travel, coordinated (but not necessarily integrated) ticketing and information can be implemented, such as through the sale of rail tickets that include access to local public transportation services or allowing public transit tickets to be sold on board airplanes or trains.