London, 19.03.2026 – A pioneering coalition of public transport operators, authorities, and technology providers has won the prestigious ‘Cross-Border Ticketing’ award at the Transport Ticketing Global 2026 conference. The award celebrates the successful implementation of an international "router layer" that enables seamless travel across national borders using mobile pay-as-you-go technology.
The solution is currently operational on the Cologne-Aachen-Maastricht-Liège rail corridor, allowing passengers to move between Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium with a single swipe on their smartphone.
Frictionless International Travel
Cross-border journeys have historically required multiple apps and separate accounts, often resulting in passengers being charged multiple base fares. The recognised initiative addresses these challenges by connecting existing national fare schemes through a digital router, avoiding the need for new bilateral ticket products or expensive physical infrastructure.
“Our mission is to simplify public transport travel and move without borders,” emphasised Roel Testroote, Director of the ACCEPT Institute.
“Joining forces in a border region pays off: by linking national systems, we are breaking down barriers in public transport and making seamless travel easier than ever before for passengers,” noted Dr. Dominik Elsmann, Head of Cross-Border Public Transport at AVV.
“We are proud to have achieved this together, ensuring a seamless experience for travellers—especially in border regions where different systems and fare structures converge,” added Chellie Soons, Regional Director at Arriva Limburg.
Key Impact of the Project
- Proven scalability – The system handles over 150,000 cross-border journeys annually on a single corridor.
- National sovereignty – The technology preserves existing national pricing rules while combining them into one transparent price for the user.
- Efficiency – Because the solution is hardware-free, it reduces implementation costs and shortens time to market compared to traditional systems.
A Blueprint for Europe
The partnership includes a broad group of operators, authorities and technology providers, such as the ACCEPT Institute, Arriva, AVV (Aachener Verkehrsverbund), DB Regio, go.Rheinland, National Express, SNCB, Translink, FAIRTIQ, and others. The judges praised the project as a scalable blueprint that can connect non-integrated fare systems anywhere different tariff schemes meet.
“This award validates our mission to make European travel truly borderless,” said Gian-Mattia Schucan, Founder and Co-CEO of FAIRTIQ. “By respecting national infrastructure while delivering a simple, user-centric interface, the project has removed the technical barriers that have limited cross-border mobility for years.”
About FAIRTIQ
With over 350 million journeys, FAIRTIQ has established itself as the global leader and pioneer in postpaid ticketing and mobile pay-as-you-go (MPAYG) solutions. The platform serves more than one million active monthly users and is currently available in 13 countries: Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. Across 27 regions, the app enhances accessibility and ease-of-use for public transport on a regional level, while providing nationwide coverage in three countries. Leading transport operators and authorities rely on FAIRTIQ’s solutions as the company continues its rapid international growth and global user expansion.
About the Partners
Arriva
Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,000 people and delivering 1.6 billion passenger journeys across 10 countries. Arriva Limburg operates the regional bus and train network in the Dutch province of Limburg, including key cross-border connections into Germany and Belgium.
Aachener Verkehrsverbund (AVV)
The AVV is the transport authority for the Aachen region in Germany. It coordinates public transport services for 1.3 million inhabitants, focusing on integrating regional rail and bus services and pioneering international mobility solutions within the tri-border area of Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
ACCEPT Institute
The ACCEPT Institute is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to simplifying public travel. Its international router infrastructure connects national pricing back-offices to enable seamless cross-border journeys while preserving the sovereignty of national fare governance.
Other Project Partners
The success of this award-winning initiative was made possible through the collaboration of a broad coalition of operators and authorities, including DB Regio, go.Rheinland, National Express, SNCB, Translink, and others.
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