Train booking website Trainline is to float on the London Stock Exchange for £1.5bn

[editor]

Blimey. I knew it was popular but I didn't think it was this lucrative! And this is - presumably - cash that would have gone to the railways if they weren't all split up and privatised?

Trainline tells customers they can expect to save about 50 per cent on their tickets by booking through its website.

But it is not necessarily cheaper than booking in advance from National Rail or the websites of individual companies.

It was started in 1997 as part of Virgin Rail, and now employs 600 staff, operates in 45 European and Asian countries, and generates annual sales of £3.2billion.

It made an adjusted profit of £52.7million.

Train booking website Trainline is to float on the London Stock Exchange for £1.5bn | This is Money

 

[Badgers]

Where is good old Bungle when we need him

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Blimey. I knew it was popular but I didn't think it was this lucrative! And this is - presumably - cash that would have gone to the railways if they weren't all split up and privatised?



Train booking website Trainline is to float on the London Stock Exchange for £1.5bn | This is Money

How does this even work? The company values itself at £1.5bn, it's annual profit last year was "It made an adjusted profit of £52.7million." - so it would take 30 years to get to £1.5bn. Sounds a bit chinny...

 

[marty21]

Where is good old Bungle when we need him

The thread would have been legendary

 

[Pickman's model]

Where is good old Bungle when we need him

still stuck at the bus stop the bus still sails past him

 

[neonwilderness]

They’ve made a killing with those booking fees

 

[Teaboy]

How does this even work? The company values itself at £1.5bn, it's annual profit last year was "It made an adjusted profit of £52.7million." - so it would take 30 years to get to £1.5bn. Sounds a bit chinny...

The madness of business. The likes of Uber and Tesla make massive losses year on year but are apparently worth a gazillion dollars or something. Last Minute.com under Martha Lane Fox never turned a profit yet she is still held up as some sort of guru. Who needs profit when you've got turnover?

 

[planetgeli]

Where is good old Bungle when we need him

Isn't he waiting in for that parcel still?

 

[mauvais]

And this is - presumably - cash that would have gone to the railways if they weren't all split up and privatised?

Nah. It's ridiculous, but no connection.

 

[skyscraper101]

They’ve made a killing with those booking fees

Innit. I never use them if I can help it. Much rather book direct through National Rail or the specific operator and save the extra couple of quid.

 

[marty21]

Innit. I never use them if I can help it. Much rather book direct through National Rail or the specific operator and save the extra couple of quid.

Has #bungle got your log in details ?

 

[Pickman's model]

Innit. I never use them if I can help it. Much rather book direct through National Rail or the specific operator and save the extra couple of quid.

yeh i've been caught by trainline a couple of times and don't use them anymore

 

[8115]

I use it quite often out of convenience but there's no way I save 50%.

 

[stavros]

They’ve made a killing with those booking fees

That's why I use East Midlands trains for my bookings, even nearly five years after I moved out of their area. They don't charge for my Greater Anglia and South Western tickets.

 

[tim]

Where is good old Bungle when we need him

And as Gromit has been sent to jail without passing Go, we'll have to wait for him to throw a six before getting the the view of the misogynist in the driver's cab.

 

[Badgers]

I travel a fair bit with work (expenses) so the app is useful for getting tickets in one place and receipts. As work are paying I don't care about the booking fee but would usually buy direct.

Do find that the departures/tracker is better than most rail companies own websites.

 

[Winot]

I travel a fair bit with work (expenses) so the app is useful for getting tickets in one place and receipts. As work are paying I don't care about the booking fee but would usually buy direct.

Do find that the departures/tracker is better than most rail companies own websites.

And you can get mobile tickets on some routes which download to the app. Not sure if you can do that direct.

 

[Badgers]

And you can get mobile tickets on some routes which download to the app. Not sure if you can do that direct.

Yup, it is a bonus.

 

[8ball]

The madness of business. The likes of Uber and Tesla make massive losses year on year but are apparently worth a gazillion dollars or something. Last Minute.com under Martha Lane Fox never turned a profit yet she is still held up as some sort of guru. Who needs profit when you've got turnover?

I don't think this one is quite in the league of Tesla or Uber in "trendy market disruptor" stakes, so am a little surprised.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

And you can get mobile tickets on some routes which download to the app. Not sure if you can do that direct.

I got a ticket from GWR on my phone recently, was quite snazzy

 

[editor]

Fucking rip off merchants:

Rail union RMT, today published survey results revealing Trainline's destructive practice of ripping off passengers, misleading the general public, and undermining the integrity of the railways.

The survey, which asked more than 2,600 rail workers about their experiences, uncovered a range of serious problems with Trainline's ticketing system — bogus tickets, excessive pricing, and confusing fare options.

The results show that Trainline does not deliver best-value fares and has put profits ahead of its commitment to deliver a public service.

Trainline is set to release its half-year results today, following a September update revealing £2bn in ticket sales and a 17% revenue increase to £106m in the first half of the year.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said “Trainline is a profiteering machine that’s ripping off passengers and unnecessarily costing taxpayers.

“Their model relies on hidden fees, deceptive ticket options, and overpriced fares – all designed to boost shareholder profits at the public’s expense.”

Key findings

Invalid Tickets and Extra Costs: Over 90% of RMT members surveyed reported that Trainline sells tickets invalid for passengers’ journeys, forcing many to pay twice or risk penalties. Nearly 80% of staff said they’d encountered passengers who bought tickets through Trainline only to find them useless and requiring a new purchase.

Unfair Fees and Overpriced Tickets: Trainline adds booking fees on almost all transactions, with 60% of RMT members reporting that Trainline’s prices were consistently higher than necessary. The platform frequently fails to apply discounts such as GroupSave or regional offers, leaving customers to pay more than they would directly at a ticket office.

Incomplete and Misleading Information: Staff report that Trainline’s information about train schedules, cancellations, and platforms is often inaccurate or outdated. Unlike direct ticketing from train operators, Trainline’s platform doesn’t integrate with real-time updates, causing many passengers to miss trains or receive no compensation for delays.

No Guarantee of the Best Fare: Over 90% of RMT members believe that Trainline fails to provide passengers with the best-value fare. Trainline’s default settings prioritise more expensive fares rather than transparently displaying cheaper options. Their “Splitsave” feature can be confusing, with tickets restricted to specific trains and times, leaving many passengers unexpectedly out of pocket.

These findings show that Trainline’s model is incompatible with a fair and integrated public rail service.

Trainline accused of ripping off customers and deliberately misleading them

Rail union RMT, today published survey results revealing Trainline's destructive practice of ripping off passengers, misleading the general public, and undermining the integrity of the railways.

www.rmt.org.uk

 

[Plumdaff]

That rings true. I used Trainline for their handy Advance ticket alerts but then I always book using the Transport for Wales app - often shows cheaper fares that I'm not shown on the for profit sites.

 

[tim]

Where is good old Bungle when we need him

Where is good old Badgers when we most need him.

 

[Pickman's model]

boycott trainline