Trainline has reported higher than expected half-year ticket sales, attributed to a surge in demand for digital tickets and fewer UK rail strikes.
The FTSE 250 online retailer recorded just over £3bn in sales for the six months ending 31 August, marking a 14 per cent increase year on year. Revenue also saw a significant rise of 17 per cent, reaching £229m. Both figures surpassed the previous growth forecast for the financial year 2025, which had been set between 8 per cent to 12 per cent and 7 per cent to 11 per cent, respectively.
Jody Ford, Chief Executive, commented on the performance, stating, “As Europe’s number one rail app, our strong performance shows how our relentless focus on innovation is helping more customers to choose digital ticketing.” He noted that competition among rail carriers across Europe is intensifying, and as the preferred aggregator, they provide the value and convenience customers seek. This is particularly evident in Spain, where net ticket sales have tripled in the last two years, with over 1 million customers transacting in the past 12 months alone.
In the UK, net ticket sales reached £2bn, representing a 15 per cent increase year-on-year. This growth was driven by more customers opting for digital tickets and the reduced impact from strike action compared to the previous year. International sales also increased by six per cent to £583m, with the Spanish and Italian markets experiencing the fastest growth.
Given its strong performance, it is now anticipated that the full-year adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) will surpass previous forecasts of between 2.4 and 2.5 per cent of net ticket sales. This outlook should alleviate investor concerns about the potential impact of extensive rail reforms under the new government.
Despite previous investor worries of a competing state-owned ticket operator causing shares to plummet at times, no plans have been revealed by Labour. So far this year, shares have fallen by 4.34 per cent but have increased by around 20 per cent over the past 12 months.
Trainline’s robust sales growth, driven by digital ticket demand and fewer rail strikes, has led to higher than expected ticket sales and revenue, surpassing previous forecasts and alleviating investor concerns.