Speaking the Same Language in European Mobility: the NAPCORE project
How do countries share their mobility data? When we travel, we don’t think about the web of data behind it. Yet every timetable, stop, and fare depends on that invisible network. We may not see it, but we certainly rely on it.
The European Union is working to make transport information more consistent and connected through initiatives like NAPCORE – dedicated to ensuring we can all enjoy smoother, multimodal journeys. For that to happen, though, the systems behind our trips must be accurate, reliable, and easy to exchange between countries.
Launched under the EU’s Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Directive, NAPCORE – the National Access Point Coordination Organisation for Europe – connects more than 30 national mobility data platforms, known as National Access Points (NAPs). Each Member State runs its own NAP: a digital space where transport data is published for public authorities, operators, and developers.
But not all NAPs look the same. Their formats, access interfaces, and data standards vary, making it difficult to combine or use data from one country to another. NAPCORE helps bridge those gaps by aligning standards and improving quality so Europe’s transport systems can finally speak the same language.
In this sense, NAPCORE has reached major milestones: harmonised data models aligning TN-ITS and DATEX II, the first European ITS Data Dictionary, a metadata catalogue for NAPs, and a reference architecture showing how systems interact in practice.
On the multimodal side, the project also aligned cycling and parking data, contributed to EU fare profiles for multimodal ticketing, and developed a Quality Framework to enhance reliability, all while enriching the ITS Data Dictionary with multimodal elements.
And with these achievements, there’s still more to strive for! Originally due to finish in 2024, the initiative has now evolved into a long-term, collaborative platform to build on these results and carry the work forward.
NAPCORE and the next step for multimodal mobility
In its new phase, NAPCORE turns plans into practice: coordinating national systems, improving data accessibility across NAPs and developing an EU-wide identification system for access nodes. These nodes – from local bus stops to major interchanges – are where every journeys begins, ends, or connects.
UITP plays a key role, leading the development of digital IDs for these nodes in collaboration with several European partners. Consultations with more than twenty countries and organisations, including the EU Agency for Railways, reveal steady progress but also uneven development, highlighting the need for a common European framework.
The next step is to create EU-wide guidelines ensuring every access node can be identified uniquely and interoperably. It may sound highly technical, but the impact is significant: digital IDs will make it easier for transport systems to interact seamlessly across modes and countries, improving both operations and the passenger experience.
As part of these ongoing efforts, NAPCORE also brought the discussion to the Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress in Barcelona on 5 November, hosting a side event with MobilityData.
The session explored how GTFS and GBFS data specifications, both scheduled and real-time, are being used across Europe and how they connect with Transmodel-based standards such as NeTEx and SIRI in line with the Multimodal Travel Information Services Delegated Regulation (MMTIS-DR) – the EU Regulation defining how travel information must be made available in every Member State.
The discussion helped build a shared understanding of how multimodal data is currently made available through National Access Points, while identifying strengths, gaps, and best practices. It also laid the foundations for a joint roadmap for future collaboration between NAPCORE and MobilityData to address challenges and make the most of their complementary expertise.
The ABC of Data: What, Who and How
Beyond the access-node study, UITP leads other complementary activities shaping how multimodal data is managed and shared across Europe.
One key activity focuses on mapping of data provision under the MMTIS-DR, which will clarify what data needs to be shared, what rules apply at national, regional, and local levels, who is responsible for delivering it, and how accuracy can be ensured.
It also looks at how authorities, MaaS providers, and operators comply with these quality requirements, identifying challenges and proposing solutions, from shared tools and best practices to targeted training.
This work will feed into the development of a roadmap to improve both the quality and availability of multimodal data across Europe’s NAPs, helping operators and authorities share reliable, consistent information and build a more connected mobility ecosystem.
Connecting EU’s mobility data for better journeys
It’s easy to think of standards and data models as abstract work. But when that data connects seamlessly, it creates something tangible: smoother journeys, better access, and more inclusive mobility for everyone.
Passengers get clearer information and simpler connections. Operators and authorities gain better governance and more reliable data. Developers can build the next generation of digital mobility tools on a consistent, interoperable base.
And all of this is… NAPCORE! Stay tuned as the project moves forward and see whether you can feel that invisible data improving your journey.
