Similar to how customers now expect to be able to book a single trip with multiple airlines in a single transaction, rail booking services like Trainline and Omio have emerged as indispensable resources for European rail travelers who don’t feel like navigating multiple train booking systems to buy tickets.
Additionally, similar to contemporary air travel, these systems allow users to save their tickets on their mobile devices rather than carrying around paper tickets.
For instance, in the UK, Trainline enables users to save any discount cards they may have together with their tickets on the app. In contrast, Train Frog, another local online service, enables users to bid for first-class upgrades on tickets they have already purchased, independent of the original vendor.
Digital Platforms Facilitate Intelligent Travel
Some European transportation authorities are gradually phasing out paper tickets as they become more commonplace. For instance, Paris is finally getting away from paper metro passes as it transitions to a totally contactless ticketing system, 122 years after the first one was given.
The Mayor of London has said that just 10% of all trips on the metro system of the city are made using paper tickets.
Additionally, research by Transport for London (TfL) reveals that a mobile device is now used for more than a third of all adult contactless pay-as-you-go Tube trips.
Uber is now exploring this integrated method of scheduling and paying for a range of rides in its efforts to become the top transportation app in the globe.
This month, the company announced that Uber Travel will be expanding to more than 10,000 destinations globally, allowing users to book a variety of transportation options, including interstate rail trips, using the Uber app.
