Trainline ticket sales surpass £3bn as more Brits book online

Trainline made £3bn in net ticket revenue in the first half thanks to a growing proportion of Britons booking train journeys online.

The UK’s largest train ticketing app reported that its net ticket sales grew 14 percent year-on-year at constant exchange rates in the six months ending in August.

About two-thirds of all sales occurred in the United Kingdom, where the percentage of train tickets purchased online rose five percentage points to 51 percent.

Trainline also said its domestic business benefited from fewer strikes and the “continued normalisation” of the UK rail industry since the easing of Covid-related restrictions.

Meanwhile, international ticket sales rose 6 per cent to £583 million, partly due to strong results in Spain and Italy, and 19 per cent to £449 million in its B2B division.

Increased demand for tickets, combined with a focus on commission-free revenue such as travel insurance, helped Trainline’s turnover rise 17 per cent to £229m.

However, this was outweighed by a fifth increase in gross profits to £181 million, which the company attributed to a decrease in the compliance fee it pays to the UK rail sector.

The London-based company’s results come a week after it raised its annual outlook for the second time in less than two months.

Trainline forecasts net ticket sales to rise between 12 and 14 percent this year, having previously expected growth at the high end of a range of between 8 and 12 percent.

Additionally, the group believes its total revenue will increase between 11 and 13 percent, and adjusted profits will be around 2.6 percent of net ticket sales.

“We are proud that our technology-focused investment continues to deliver results for customers and the industry across the UK and Europe,” said Trainline CEO Jody Ford.

Despite the excellent performance, the company announced that it intends to cut some jobs with the aim of achieving approximately £12 million in savings.

Adam Vettese, market analyst at eToro, said: “Going forward, as more and more companies ask their employees to return to the office, Trainline will also benefit from the recovery of the commuter market, which will only further reinforce plus his position.”

“Shares are already up 30 percent since September and investors expect a return to previous highs in the coming months.”

Train line actions They rose 5.7 per cent to 419.2p by mid-afternoon on Thursday, making them one of the biggest risers on the FTSE 250 index.