TheTrainline / ticket booking apps

[windy miller]

   I have a registration with the new Avanti booking site and likewise the XC, Chiltern
    and WMT booking engines. However Whereas I previously booked with XC and/or
    Virgin I had not previously been asked to pay a booking fee to Trainline.  ? 
     When I recently attempted to make an advance booking with XC, despite
     their 'NO Booking fees' claim...I was directed to a payment option via trainline
     asking for a 75p booking fee which is added to the fare upfront. This 'additional'
      fee was originally charged at the ticket vending machine when You collected
       your ticket(s)..? (This fee was easily avoided by asking a desk clerk to print
        your tickets at a booking office due to my poor eyesight).
      I had a similar result with the  Avanti site. Surprisingly I had NO problem 
       booking an advance fare with the WMT engine as their fare(s)/ options were
      the same and NO requests for booking fees. I will stick with WMT in future.
         



       

[richardjones210368]

   I have a registration with the new Avanti booking site and likewise the XC, Chiltern
    and WMT booking engines. However Whereas I previously booked with XC and/or
    Virgin I had not previously been asked to pay a booking fee to Trainline.  ? 
     When I recently attempted to make an advance booking with XC, despite
     their 'NO Booking fees' claim...I was directed to a payment option via trainline
     asking for a 75p booking fee which is added to the fare upfront. This 'additional'
      fee was originally charged at the ticket vending machine when You collected
       your ticket(s)..? (This fee was easily avoided by asking a desk clerk to print
        your tickets at a booking office due to my poor eyesight).
      I had a similar result with the  Avanti site. Surprisingly I had NO problem 
       booking an advance fare with the WMT engine as their fare(s)/ options were
      the same and NO requests for booking fees. I will stick with WMT in future.
         



       

I will raise your concerns at the first Avanti Customer Focus Meeting I attend. It is my understanding that if you have created a personal account on the Avanti website print at home tickets are free as stated as no booking fee though a charge may occur for other delivery methods.. All TOCs and commercial ticket sellers used the same interface for ticket sales and train line is owned by Virgin Trains I will raise your point at the earliest opportunity with FirstGroup & The Italian State Railway Company.

[sryan188]

I will raise your concerns at the first Avanti Customer Focus Meeting I attend. It is my understanding that if you have created a personal account on the Avanti website print at home tickets are free as stated as no booking fee though a charge may occur for other delivery methods.. All TOCs and commercial ticket sellers used the same interface for ticket sales and train line is owned by Virgin Trains I will raise your point at the earliest opportunity with FirstGroup & The Italian State Railway Company.

Trainline is not owned by Virgin or Virgin Trains it was started by Virgin Group in 1997 but was sold in 2006. Since then its has changed hands a few times but since June 2019 it is now a public company listed on the FTSE 250.

[richardjones210368]

Virgin used to have a 86% shareholding in trainline.com with National Express owning the other 14%

In July 2006, Exponent Private Equity acquired Trainline. In July 2007, Trainline acquired Advanced Smartcard Technologies and ECEBS, signalling a new strategy to enter the smartcardmarket. Ecebs was subsequently sold to Bell ID in November 2012.

The company was bought from Exponent by the private equity firm KKR in January 2015.In August 2015, the company announced it had changed its name from thetrainline.com to Trainline in 2016, acquired Captain Train and re-branded it as Trainline EU.

In June 2019, Trainline was the subject of an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.

What I didnt make clear in my post and what I ment was Virgin Trains have rentered the market with a train line in competition with Trainline

[sryan188]

Virgin used to have a 86% shareholding in trainline.com with National Express owning the other 14%

In July 2006, Exponent Private Equity acquired Trainline. In July 2007, Trainline acquired Advanced Smartcard Technologies and ECEBS, signalling a new strategy to enter the smartcardmarket. Ecebs was subsequently sold to Bell ID in November 2012.

The company was bought from Exponent by the private equity firm KKR in January 2015.In August 2015, the company announced it had changed its name from thetrainline.com to Trainline in 2016, acquired Captain Train and re-branded it as Trainline EU.

In June 2019, Trainline was the subject of an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange.

What I didnt make clear in my post and what I ment was Virgin Trains have rentered the market with a train line in competition with Trainline

Virgin have just continued to operate the train booking platform from Virgin Trains. They have not re-entered the market they have just remained in the market. Only difference is they don't operate any of the trains they sell tickets for now. That has nothing to do with Trainline PLC's ownership as it hasn't been anything to do with Virgin for over 12 years.

[richardjones210368]

Virgin have just continued to operate the train booking platform from Virgin Trains. They have not re-entered the market they have just remained in the market. Only difference is they don't operate any of the trains they sell tickets for now. That has nothing to do with Trainline PLC's ownership as it hasn't been anything to do with Virgin for over 12 years.

Well I dont know what I am using then as I am currently beta testing a booking app for Stagecoach PLC to be branded as Virgin Trains to be launched on Google Play when Stagecoach rebrand shortly.  This forum never ceases to amaze me with the total bollocks people post when I am using a Virgin Trains  booking app which covers bus train and tram!!!

[sryan188]

Well I dont know what I am using then as I am currently beta testing a booking app for Stagecoach PLC to be branded as Virgin Trains to be launched on Google Play when Stagecoach rebrand shortly.  This forum never ceases to amaze me with the total bollocks people post when I am using a Virgin Trains  booking app which covers bus train and tram!!!

I know what you mean about the amount of b******s posted! A certain individual is posting it everywhere who claims to be an expert in everything.

Virgin Trains are currently selling tickets through their website & app! are they not? They will continue to sell tickets through their website & app?
They are not re-entering a market (as they are already in the market) they are launching a new app? That's it.

Its irrelevant anyway the original post i made was to clear up that trainline is not owned by Virgin.

[Stu]

Whether you book tickets using third-party websites such as TheTrainline, Virgin Trains or TrainGenius (which the Virgin Trains website links to), or directly from a train operators website, they all use the same 'core engine' to bring up ticket information/prices and train times.

It is up to the 'front-end' website whether booking fees are charged, as in the case of TheTrainline.

I have booked London Midland tickets using the Chiltern website, and Chiltern tickets using the (old) Virgin Trains website.

What I found amusing last year, when I booked tickets through Transport For Wales - which didn't charge any booking fee - I paid with Paypal, and my payment went to... TheTrainline.com.  ;D

[sryan188]

Isnt that what I exactly said in my original posts so your posts are utterly pointless and just make yourself look a foolish knowall I know what beta app I used that told me my Diamond Bus 4H was coming on time to go lane swimming at 7.56 this morning despite your pathetic attempt at one upmanship what I am beta testing is nothing to do with the old virgin trains app and is a brand new venture I know because one of clients is developing the app for Stagecoach you obviously know better than one of our valued clients & are saying the app I am using here in Halesowen Bus Station doesn't exist I take it your a Love Island fan then?

It is not what you posted in your original post!
I corrected your statement about the ownership of Trainline.
You then started talking about Virgin re-entering the market in competition with Trainline. They already are in competition with trainline.
I am not saying the app does not exist but it not a new venture as they already operate in the market.

End of conversation.

[Ian Hardy]

Whether you book tickets using third-party websites such as TheTrainline, Virgin Trains or TrainGenius (which the Virgin Trains website links to), or directly from a train operators website, they all use the same 'core engine' to bring up ticket information/prices and train times.

It is up to the 'front-end' website whether booking fees are charged, as in the case of TheTrainline.

I have booked London Midland tickets using the Chiltern website, and Chiltern tickets using the (old) Virgin Trains website.

What I found amusing last year, when I booked tickets through Transport For Wales - which didn't charge any booking fee - I paid with Paypal, and my payment went to... TheTrainline.com.  ;D

I would never use the TheTrainline.com website to book tickets as they automatically charge a booking fee, but I always use a TOC website they do not charge a booking fee even if the TOC uses TheTrainline.com in the background.

Also if you need to amend a booking or get a refund or have been delayed if you have used the TheTrainline.com website, good luck, whereas if you used a TOC website you are more likely to get a satisfactory outcome. 

[richardjones210368]

I would never use the TheTrainline.com website to book tickets as they automatically charge a booking fee, but I always use a TOC website they do not charge a booking fee even if the TOC uses TheTrainline.com in the background.

Also if you need to amend a booking or get a refund or have been delayed if you have used the TheTrainline.com website, good luck, whereas if you used a TOC website you are more likely to get a satisfactory outcome.

My other half uses the Chltern Trains booking site which I am told is very good and very user friendly for someone who isnt a transport expert I have heard your comments previously from Trainline users it seems to be very commercially driven although I do not have any experience of booking train tickets being a big fan of the late great Sid.

[Tony]

I would never use the TheTrainline.com website to book tickets as they automatically charge a booking fee, but I always use a TOC website they do not charge a booking fee even if the TOC uses TheTrainline.com in the background.

Also if you need to amend a booking or get a refund or have been delayed if you have used the TheTrainline.com website, good luck, whereas if you used a TOC website you are more likely to get a satisfactory outcome.

Agree. The Trainline is an awful rip-off site. The fees for their business customers can be more than the costs of the ticket they are booking. Avoid like the plague!

[richardjones210368]

Agree. The Trainline is an awful rip-off site. The fees for their business customers can be more than the costs of the ticket they are booking. Avoid like the plague!

Sorry @Tony that bloke wound me up this morning I forget everyone on here are normal ordinary common people and not politicians looking for a fight its psychological & I was on an adrenaline trip after swimming half a mile when I am only trying to help others on the thread and will try and find out why  the original poster suffered as there must be a glitch but that bloke intimating the beta app I am trying was for the existing Virgin Trains ltd when it was Stagecoach PLC I get bogged down in company structures it was unacceptable language and behaviour for which I apologise to everyone on the forum who was offended but everyone always says to me the Trainline is one big rip off you are so right as always.

[the trainbasher]

Best way to book a train ticket - speak to a human at your local rail station enquiry office. They have more expertise (usually) than the websites and machines that are trying to replace them.

[markcf83]

Best way to book a train ticket - speak to a human at your local rail station enquiry office. They have more expertise (usually) than the websites and machines that are trying to replace them.

That's what I always do with train tickets. The times I have a rough idea about beforehand....