Trainline rail ticket firm in ^500m stock market flotation

[whole diary]

[readytostart]

CrossCountry, a trainline customer, are quite blatant in their 'no booking fees' advertising. Such a strapline appears on all their advertisements for their online booking service.

Of course, having no stations of their own it's an effort to maximise revenue, as is the charge they do levy to pick up tickets from a TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine) when print at home or mobile tickets are available for that journey.

[ellendune]

But surely it is in all customers interests for them to advertise that they do not charge a booking fee.

[grahame]

I suspect that there may be some 'agreement' between the TrainLine (who run the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) ticketing sections of their websites) & the TOCs about the TOCs not blatently advertising no booking fees. But I could be surprised and be wrong. Otherwise, why haven't they done so? It's a no-brainer.

But surely it is in all customers interests for them to advertise that they do not charge a booking fee.

You could both be right.   Or it could be that the train companies in general feel that the particular "no booking fee" small print is somewhere they don't want to go, perhaps with the thought that The TrainLine brings lots of non-rail passengers to trains and is a good thing for them as a whole due to that extra marketing.

[grahame]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Trainline rail ticket firm in ^500m stock market flotation

Trainline, the online rail booking system, is to float on the London Stock Market in a deal expected to value the business at about ^500m.

And "all change" from the Guardian:

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/22/thetrainlinecom-krr-equity-firm-ipo-exponent?

The American private equity fund KKR has bought the British train ticket website thetrainline.com, derailing its planned float on the London stock market.

[grahame]

From the Daily Mail

The Labour Party is preparing to launch a direct rival to Trainline as part of its nationalisation plans in a move that could 'decimate' the rail ticket-selling giant's business.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that if Labour gets into power it would create a 'one-stop shop' for rail passengers to buy tickets online without booking fees.

It would create major competition for third-party ticket sellers such as Trainline, which floated on the London Stock Exchange in the summer and has grown into one of Britain's largest technology companies with a £2.2 billion valuation.

[TaplowGreen]

From the Daily Mail

The Labour Party is preparing to launch a direct rival to Trainline as part of its nationalisation plans in a move that could 'decimate' the rail ticket-selling giant's business.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that if Labour gets into power it would create a 'one-stop shop' for rail passengers to buy tickets online without booking fees.

It would create major competition for third-party ticket sellers such as Trainline, which floated on the London Stock Exchange in the summer and has grown into one of Britain's largest technology companies with a £2.2 billion valuation.

It would be a great deal better if they simplified all the fares so that everyone could work out as to whether they are getting the best deal.

[rogerw]

Why create a new company.  The existing TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) offer a service equal to Trainline without fees

[johnneyw]

Why create a new company.  The existing TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) offer a service equal to Trainline without fees

My very thoughts but the opposition's stated aims of re-nationalizing the railways might stop all that.

[stuving]

Why create a new company.  The existing TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) offer a service equal to Trainline without fees

My very thoughts but the opposition's stated aims of re-nationalizing the railways might stop all that.

I think that's the point. I can't find this as an actual policy proposal - so it looks like the qustion was asked about what nationailisation would do to the sales process, and someone at Labour spotted an opportunity. By saying the process would be simplified - which must be true at least in the sense that the step "choose sales outlet" gets scrapped - it gives the impression of doing something about the complexity of fares without actually finding a solution to that knotty problem.

[grahame]

Why create a new company.  The existing TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) offer a service equal to Trainline without fees

My very thoughts but the opposition's stated aims of re-nationalizing the railways might stop all that.

I have to wonder if we might find our trains run by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) OLR Holdings Limited rather than First from 1st April 2020 should we have a Labour government replace the current one.

[TaplowGreen]

Seems to be part of a wider policy as part of the magic money tree.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50621621

[ChrisB]

I have to wonder if we might find our trains run by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) OLR Holdings Limited rather than First from 1st April 2020 should we have a Labour government replace the current one.

I think you can stop wondering....it's more likely than that.

[ellendune]

Seems to be part of a wider policy as part of the magic money tree.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50621621

Whose magic money all parties seem to have found them. 

[Timmer]

Whose magic money all parties seem to have found them. 

Indeed, though some are bigger than others.

[TaplowGreen]

Whose magic money all parties seem to have found them. 

Indeed, though some are bigger than others.

.......and have branches everywhere....