Bileto Announces Availability of OSDM Sandbox

Vienna, October 4th 2023 — Prague-based Bileto is announcing the general availability of its OSDM API Sandbox—an industry-standard implementation of the modern Open Sales and Distribution Model, championed by the passenger railway sector across Europe.

OSDM represents the next chapter in passenger ticketing, reservations and interlining between rail carriers, aggregators and travel agents. Bileto’s new API Sandbox joins industry partners in providing another valuable development tool for all technology vendors, transit agencies and enthusiasts who want to explore OSDM hands-on, without the need for costly API mock-up setups.

The API is populated with real-world reservation data representing multiple domestic and cross-border train routes in Czechia, including long-distance services operated by Arriva and the recently launched Gepard Express scheduled service between Brno and Vienna International Airport. Bileto will continue expanding the feature set in the near future to offer an even more comprehensive testing and development experience.

“This year’s World Passenger Festival is an exciting opportunity to launch our newest contribution to the growing OSDM community. Bileto is firmly committed to promoting an open intermodal passenger market, and our API Sandbox makes it easier for everyone to get familiar with the standard and develop something new,” says Josef Petrák, CEO of Bileto. The company was the first ever to deploy a production OSDM API in August 2021 to support seat bookings on Arriva trains across the Czech national fare scheme, OneTicket.

“UIC is thrilled to have Bileto delivering an OSDM sandbox after deploying production OSDM solutions to their customers. With the Swedish market adopting OSDM, with CER Railways ticketing road map committed on implementing OSDM, and IT providers like Bileto, Sqills and Turnit providing OSDM solutions, OSDM is becoming the rail distribution reference,” commented Vittorio Carta, OSDM Initiative Manager and UIC PSG Chair, and Marc Guigon, UIC Passenger director.

The API Sandbox is compliant with the open source OSDM 3.0 standard, codified as the UIC International Railway Solution (IRS) 90918-10. By leveraging Bileto’s extensive experience with rail ticketing and reservations, it offers an out-of-the-box rapid development tool to all parties who submit a simple registration at osdm.cz. Access is provided free of charge, subject only to a fair use policy.

The available feature set will continue to grow as the company incorporates functionality currently offered in its operational carrier APIs. Bileto has operated production OSDM APIs since 2021, enabling seamless technological integration between carriers and transit authorities. The company has also contributed its expertise to the OSDM development community and remains a strong supporter of the model’s evolution towards a comprehensive, mature, universal standard.

“We encourage our partners, developers and friends of OSDM to reach out and try our sandbox,” adds Josef Petrák, himself an active member of the community. Developers are invited to register at osdm.cz to obtain a resource package, detailing the API and access information.

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About OSDM

Open Sales and Distribution Model is a joint industry effort aiming to bridge the technological gap and bring passenger ticketing and interlining into the 21st century. The forward-looking standard complements and replaces existing decades-old solutions, which were often specific to a single rail operator or IT vendor. By setting a standardized set of formats and rules, it opens possibilities for new kinds of itineraries and dynamic fare combinations. This greatly simplifies distribution by eliminating custom development for each carrier’s interface.

OSDM streamlines development of backend systems and customer apps, which translates into immediate cost savings and dramatic reduction of time-to-market—from months to days in some cases. It is the future of rail travel in Europe, with room to incorporate other travel modes with minimal cost and effort. OSDM has been in operation since 2021 and continues to evolve.

About Bileto

Bileto started in 2013 as a next-generation route planner and quickly evolved into an integrated all-in-one B2B/B2C solution provider for the public transportation industry. It now facilitates ticketing, reservations, validation, e-commerce, mobile apps and B2B interconnections for bus and train operators in Central Europe and beyond. Bileto has been an active member of the OSDM community since 2021, becoming the first company to deploy a production OSDM API.