SilverRail Technologies and the Expedia group (NASDAQ: EXPE) today announced a strategic technology partnership to power Expedia’s global expansion in the rail business.
Rail is an increasingly popular mode of regional transport throughout Europe and Asia. According to Phocuswright, rail is now the fastest growing sector in travel, with over €30 billion in rail tickets sold in Europe alone[1]. City-centre to city-centre access, private and government investment, speed advancements, and a lower environmental impact than other means of travel helped propel significant growth in the rail industry.
“We know rail is a highly sought-after form of transportation, especially across Europe and Asia, and we want to ensure our customers have a full variety of travel choices when they visit our sites. We’ve had a great playbook with our other lines of business, and we are eager to implement a similar strategy for rail,” said Greg Schulze, senior vice president, Global Tour and Transport at the Expedia group. “SilverRail offers a strong technology platform designed specifically for the rail business and a wide array of train providers. We are optimistic this platform will continue to grow so our travellers have the broadest possible set of rail options. The growth of rail, and the significant business opportunity it presents, is a trend we can no longer neglect; we look forward to begin selling rail tickets and learning more about the nuances of this unique product.”
SilverRail’s global rail ticketing platform simplifies the process of accessing multiple rail companies through a standard interface. This will enable Expedia to deliver a simple, consistent search and booking experience to which their customers have become accustomed.
“Selecting the right technology launch partner was very important. SilverRail came out on top both for their technology and also their deep travel and rail industry knowledge,” mentioned Schulze.
“This is undoubtedly one of the most significant partnerships we have signed,” comments Aaron Gowell, CEO of SilverRail. “We are thrilled to be working with Expedia to bring rail into the world’s largest travel ecommerce platform.”
Development has already begun, with platform launch expected in 2016.
