EUROPE: Multimodal travel booking platform Omio Group has agreed to acquire rail distribution specialist Rail Europe. The expanded Omio Group would sell 22 million train tickets per year.<\/p>\n
The transaction remains subject to a consultation process with the French government\u2019s Social & Economic Committee. On completion, Rail Europe will join Omio Group alongside its existing booking platform, Omio\u2019s B2B booking platform and travel planning website Rome2Rio.<\/p>\n
Rail Europe will continue operating under its established brand and will maintain B2B partner services while accessing Omio Group\u2019s technology. The tie-up connects Omio with Rail Europe\u2019s network across 70 countries. The financial value of the proposed acquisition has not been disclosed.<\/p>\n
Expanding scale and digital infrastructure<\/p>\n
Jean-Francois Bessiron, Chief B2B Officer at Omio Group, said the deal marks a \u2018transformative moment for global ground transport\u2019.<\/p>\n
He said \u2018Omio and Rail Europe would give the industry a player with the technology and scale to make connected, accessible, and affordable train travel a reality for all. The sector has been constrained by outdated systems and controlled by dominant players for far too long.\u2019<\/p>\n
Rail Europe CEO Bj\u00f6rn Bender said the two companies are a \u2018natural fit\u2019, highlighting the \u2018significant scale and transformative technology of Omio and the considerable rail experience, trusted international consumer brand, and the strongest B2B distribution network of Rail Europe\u2019.<\/p>\n
During a June 2024 interview<\/a> with Railway Gazette International, Bender acknowledged the need for investment, saying the digital landscape remained largely unchanged since 2017.<\/p>\n SNCF roots<\/p>\n Omio was founded in 2013 under the name GoEuro. The Berlin-based platform rebranded as Omio during 2019. The company has previously expanded through acquisitions, including Australian travel planning website Rome2rio.<\/p>\n Rail Europe has roots in French state operator SNCF, which purchased UK-based ticketing start-up Loco2 in 2017. This platform was rebranded as Rail Europe<\/a> in November 2019. Private equity investors Hivest Capital Partners and Bpifrance later purchased the business. This divestment by SNCF Voyageurs and minority shareholder SBB concluded in March 2022. Following its separation, Rail Europe focused on remaining \u2018neutral and operator-agnostic\u2019, as CEO Bender put it.<\/p>\n The combined business will ultimately manage relationships with more than 28\u00a0000 transport operators globally.<\/p>\n See also:<\/p>\n \t\t\tSubscribe to gain access to all news<\/p>\n