the Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM) platform aims to simplify the booking process for public transport trips. It enables all ticketing stakeholders to have common standards and procedures. This reduces distribution costs for retailers, distributors and carriers. This strengthens rail and public transport as convenient and ecological means of transportation.
The OSDM-Online API and documents are open-source, which means that they are freely available. The API is modelled in YAML, fully supporting the REST paradigm.
The OSDM-Online API has several objectives in its design:
- To offer customers a convenient method for booking international train services, which includes streamlined refund and exchange processes.
- To provide a specification that can be easily supported by current or future systems, eliminating the need for significant investments.
What’s in it for you?
OSDM aims to simplify and streamline the entire process for both customers and industry stakeholders, resulting in a more efficient and cost-effective solution.
Railway operators reap significant benefits from OSDM. By leveraging technical innovation and smart mobility solutions, operators can provide superior services and attract new customers. OSDM empowers railway companies to enhance their offerings and ensure seamless travel experiences. Moreover, by streamlining the ticket distribution process, the railway sector as a whole can enjoy reduced development and distribution costs, leading to increased operational efficiency and profitability.
Ticket vendors will have more opportunities to sell rail tickets with the OSDM revolution. Improved connectivity in railway ticket distribution allows vendors to sell tickets using a simpler and more efficient distribution model. OSDM meets the market demand for one-stop-shop distribution services and fulfils passenger expectations for through-ticketing, enabling hassle-free and sustainable travel across Europe.
The role of benerail as an OSDM API provider
Benerail is an OSDM API fare provider, granting access to multiple European inventory systems through a single API. We deliver fares and combination rules to distributors, who then combine them and establish after-sales rules to offer a comprehensive package to their customers.
Our solutions effectively simplify the complexity of managing various inventory systems for distributors and ticket vendors. This remains true even when an inventory system utilizes a proprietary or legacy API rather than an OSDM API.
One unique feature of benerail is the ability to incorporate additional combination rules. Additionally, we offer filtering options and seamless integration with mid and back office systems.
By adopting the OSDM API standard, benerail aims to streamline the integration process for railway companies and ticket vendors, ultimately reducing associated costs. We actively participate in the standard to shape the future of rail ticket sales and prepare for multi-modal solutions.