Trainline sales soar as rail ticketing platform sees international boom

Train line sales rose to £2.2 billion in the first half after a strong rebound of US customers using the platform to buy train tickets to travel across Europe.

The group’s net sales in the six months to the end of August were 17 per cent higher than in the same period before the pandemic, boosted by the international division which grew 81 per cent to £452 million.

The group said it also attracted “record levels” of new customers in France and Italy, driven by a “remarkable resurgence” of customers from the US.

In the UK, the largest market, sales rose 45 per cent to £1.4 billion, while rail traffic rebounded, with passenger volume almost back to pre-Covid levels in August.

Total group revenues were 28 per cent higher than pre-Covid at £165 million.

Chief executive Jody Ford said new product launches and advertising campaigns had helped the company gain more customers in Europe.

The group will start selling tickets for the new Spanish high-speed train operator Iryo later this month, which will further strengthen its presence on the mainland.

“Our strong performance in the first half was led by International Consumer, where new product launches and brand campaigns are contributing to greater awareness of Trainline and record levels of customer acquisition in France and Italy,” he told investors.

“The strong return of tourists traveling by train across Europe this summer, particularly from the US, has further supported growth.

“In the UK, passenger numbers in the rail industry continued to recover, reaching 95 per cent of pre-Covid levels in August, the highest level since March 2020.”

Trainline shares rose in early trading before falling back to fall 1.7 percent to 358.20p.