6 September 2017 at 08:00 (GMT) Download PDF
UK rail industry first will help customers save money on train tickets.
London, UK, EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01, 6 September 2017 – Trainline, Europe’s leading independent train ticket retailer and train travel app has launched the UK’s first ever train ticket price predictor.
Available in the Trainline App* from today, Price Prediction allows train travellers to look into the future and see when Advance ticket prices are set to increase over time.
Trainline customers currently save an average of 43%** on Advance fares, however billions of price prediction data points show that if customers bought their Advance ticket on the day they first searched for their journey, they would save an average of 49% - and could save more by booking even earlier.
HOW IT WORKS
Price Prediction uses billions of data points to predict when Advance train tickets are set to increase in price over time. The new tool gives customers an at-a-glance snapshot of all the opportunities to save money when buying Advance tickets in the months and days leading up to travel.
WHY DO WE NEED IT?
Advance rail ticket pricing is complex, and customers can often miss opportunities to save. Most train companies release Advance tickets around 12 weeks before the day of travel, and once available to buy, they almost always increase in price as the day of travel approaches, so delaying purchase can be costly. Price Prediction gives complete transparency on the price of Advance tickets, helping customers choose the best price for their journey.
Our data scientists have used historical pricing trends from billions of customer journey searches to predict when the price of an Advance ticket will expire. We now share this information in our app to allow our customers to get the best price possible for their journey. We’re introducing more advanced machine learning every day so naturally our predictions will get increasingly accurate. Our mission is to make train travel as simple as possible and price prediction is the first in a long line of predictive features we have planned to help customers save time and money.
Jon Moore
Chief Product Officer at Trainline
…cont./
HOW MUCH YOU COULD SAVE
A standard class Advance single fare on this London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly route is £32 at 80 days before the day of travel, rising to £38 at 41 days before the day of travel, £42 at 13 days before, £87 at 2 days before and costs £126 on the day of travel itself.
A total saving of £88 could be made if booked 80 days before travel.
The new tool is the latest in a series of smart features for travellers in the Trainline App and follows the launch of BusyBot which uses crowdsourced data to identify the quietest parts of the train and help customers find a seat. Mobile tickets help customers save time queuing to collect at the station and real-time travel information including platform numbers and journey/delay information allows travellers to be in complete control of their journey, on-the go.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
*Price Prediction is available for single Advance ticket fares in the Trainline App for all iOS and Android devices.
**On Advance fares versus the cheapest non-Advance fares
For media enquiries, contact the Red Trainline team on 020 7025 6625 / TrainlineTeam@redconsultancy.com
About Trainline
Trainline is Europe’s leading independent train ticket retailer and train travel app. We sell tickets worldwide on behalf of 86 train companies, helping our customers make more than 125,000 journeys every day in and across 24 countries. We are a one-stop shop for rail travel, bringing together major train companies onto one platform, providing our customers with a complete set of travel options and offering unique, AI driven travel information and recommendations to help our customers stay one step ahead.