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Rail returns
It’s boom time for rail travel, but can train bookings ever be really profitable asks ABTA
Rail traffic in Britain is booming, despite high fares. The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) says that 1.4 billion passenger journeys were made in the 12 months to March, the highest total since the 1920s. But agents need an ATOC licence to sell rail tickets and with commission having been cut from 9% to 3% over the last decade and investment in technology needed, the figures only stack up if you are able to charge a service fee. Writes Dave Richardson in ABTA magazine
But, the article points out:
- There are opportunities for point – to – point travel
- It’s a growing market for travel management companies
- Rail is often faster than air for journeys of three to four hours
- Rail is not necessarily the most expensive option
- A big opportunity is fly/rail
- Agents don’t need to access Eurostar for Europe
- France, Spain, Italy and Germany have the most advanced high speed networks
- Many short air journeys are being decimated by fast rail links
- A company called Train Chartering is this year testing a system that can book popular and lesser-known rail journeys throughout the world
- As road traffic congestion, higher airfares and the green agenda make rail more attractive, it’s worth taking another look.
See the full article in ABTA magazine:
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