About us
Who we are
We are Europe’s leading train and coach app. To put it simply, we are a one-stop-shop for train and coach travel. Every day, we gather routes, prices, and travel times from over 270 rail and coach operators in 40 countries, so that everyone can buy tickets quickly and save time, effort, and money.
We stay one step ahead, so all of our customers don’t have to, we are making it easier for them to buy the best ticket for their journey with giving them live, personalised travel information on the go via our awesome app. We offer a comprehensive collection of travel options to our customers, as well as unique, AI-driven information to help them make the best decisions.
>270
carriers on behalf of whom we sell tickets
>40
countries travelled in and across by Trainline customers
55m+
cumulative app downloads
Our mission
We are Europe’s leading train and coach app. Our aim is to bring together all rail, coach and other travel services into one simple experience so people can get the best prices and smart, real-time travel info on the go.
What we do
Trainline currently operates through the following two segments:
UK Consumer
We sell rail tickets on behalf of all UK rail companies and coach tickets on behalf of National Express, to customers worldwide.
Through our highly rated mobile app, customers benefit from having all carriers, fares and their digital railcard in one place, real time travel information on-the-go, and self-serve after sales functionality.
We provide high-quality, relevant recommendations for ancillary services like trip insurance and partner with carefully selected businesses and brands wishing to advertise on our mobile app and website.
International Consumer
Our International Consumer business sells rail tickets to people all over the world on behalf of all the major European rail companies. Our International Consumer business also sells coach tickets on behalf of all the major European coach companies.
European rail markets are becoming more fragmented, following the EU’s Fourth Railway Package, which from December 2020 opened domestic rail passenger services to competition. As new entrant rail carriers launch services on newly liberalised routes, we give customers an easy way to compare all carriers, fares and journey options in our highly rated app.
Trainline Solutions
Trainline Solutions combines our Platform One technology with our Trainline Partner Solutions business.
Trainline Partner Solutions provides retailing capabilities for carriers, businesses and travel sellers.
Trainline Partner Solutions offers travel management companies and other travel platforms access to all rail carriers in one place, through one simple connection, as well as rail booking solutions directly to thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large corporate entities and public sector partners.
Trainline Partner Solutions also builds, supports and manages “white label” online and mobile sales platforms for many of the UK’s biggest rail companies. It leverages Trainline's proprietary technology to provide rail companies with a best-in-class product and a lower cost to serve compared to developing their own ticket sales solutions.
Our people
We are proud of our team of over 950 bright, highly talented and diverse individuals from more than 60 different countries, who every day strive to make a positive difference in the lives of millions of travellers, from our offices in London, Paris and Edinburgh.
950+
strong team and highly talented and diverse people
60+
nationalities
38%
female representation
Our core values
Trainline is all about connections. Whether that be with our customers, partners, industry or Trainliners, we want everyone to have the same great experience of working with us. We do this by living and breathing our values everyday, in everything that we do.
The four core values that are at the heart of everything we do are: Think Big, Own It, Do Good & Travel Together.
Think Big
We’re building the future of rail
- Ambition: we’re confident, bold and always set the bar high.
- Innovation: we strive to be curious, explore all possibilities and try new things.
- Growth mindset: we stretch ourselves, fail fast & learn and thrive on change.
Own It
We care about every customer, partner and journey
- Customer-first: we understand our customers at every level.
- Results-focused: we take accountability, move fast & deliver and focus on what matters.
- Data-driven: we use the power of data and analytics to make informed decisions.
Do Good
We make a positive impact
- Purpose-led: we champion rail and drive greener, more sustainable habits.
- Simplicity: we solve problems, deliver simple solutions and make things better.
- Integrity: we do the right thing, and pride ourselves on being transparent and respectful.
Travel Together
We’re one team
- Collaboration: we think global, build deep connections and have each other’s backs.
- Inclusion: we listen, seek out alternatives and value differences.
- Positivity: we bring good vibes, celebrate successes and have fun.
Our technology helps people make smarter travel choices
Around half of our team are software engineers, product managers, researchers, and product designers. Our data science and data engineering teams sit at the heart of our company and are charged with developing unique and highly predictive features, driven by data, that save our customers time, hassle and money.
Our history
|
1997
|
Trainline is set up by the Virgin Group with the mission of helping customers save money on train tickets. At first, we didn’t sell tickets on the web; only over a telephone line. The… train line. |
|
2008 |
We enabled customers to print their train tickets at home for the first time. It was ground-breaking then, but an industry standard now. |
|
2009 |
We launched our first iPhone app, beginning a new phase of development and mobile-friendly focused product features including etickets and live Journey Planner. (We’re not bragging, but we reckon our apps are still amongst the very best!) |
|
2010 |
We were awarded an international licence by the UK’s Association of Train Operating Carriers (ATOC) to retail UK tickets to international customers. That’s meant that people all over the world are now able to travel by train in the UK even more easily than before. |
|
2016 |
We acquired the Paris-based Captain Train, combining two of Europe’s leading digital rail platforms to create the new leader in the European market. We also expanded into the coach market, forming supply partnerships with IC Bus, ALSA and National Express – meaning customers have travel options to suit every need. As ever we were innovating on the tech front too – with the launch of PriceBot. Customers can use this nifty app feature to see the cheapest ticket available on their route for that day. |
|
2017 |
By 2017, it’s fair to say that our global journey had really begun. We had localised apps in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – and deepened our Central Eastern rail network with a LeoExpress partnership. We then launched 11 new websites, nine additional languages (14 total) and prices were displayed in 15 new currencies. More innovations were launched, like Price Prediction – indicating when a ticket will be the best value, helping customers identify the best time to book. |
|
2018 |
More than 50% of our ticket sales in the UK – for the first time – were mobile-based tickets, showing just how popular they’ve become. We introduced the UK’s most advanced rail voice AI: Trainline’s Voice App with Google Assistant. We also made our first steps into Asia with a JTB partnership. |
|
2019 |
Trainline was floated on the London Stock Exchange at 8 am on 21st June 2019 under the Ticker symbol TRN. The business soon joining the FTSE 250 index of mid-cap firms. |