Back on the 25th of February 1999, a telesales company called Trainline set up and launched its first website and in doing so became the UK’s first online website to buy train tickets.

Here is a comparative summary of how things have changed over the 25 years through the eyes of Trainline.

Back in 1999 the worldwide web was growing rapidly but was still in its infancy and people were cautious of buying things online, down to the fact it was a new idea and online security wasn’t as advanced, as a result only 1% of train tickets were bought online in the first year.

Once you had bought an online ticket, it had to be posted to you, as mobile phones then weren’t up to design or speed to enable them to handle apps, QR codes or emails.

Trainline would also shut down its website overnight during quiet periods to save costs.

Rail ticket sales in 2024

Moving on a quarter of a century, today 50% of train tickets are now bought online and with over 40 different train operators also selling tickets via apps or online, it’s now a competitive and demanding part of the rail industry each trying to vie for customers by offering discounts and deals.

Tickets are now barcoded and are sent instantly through the Trainline app or by email to your phone or PC.

Trainline’s website now runs 24/7 across 40 different countries, selling 200 million tickets a year, using 270 different carriers.

YouGov’s’ latest survey, which was undertaken during a 24-hour period at the start of February this year, shows how 90% of the public say it’s now easy to buy train tickets online, this number goes up to 97% for those who regularly use the trainline website or app.

Apps and websites preferred

In addition just over two thirds of train travellers across the UK say they now prefer to buy their tickets using websites or apps.

Trainline CEO Jody Ford said: “Online retailing is a major success story for UK rail, with tech making it much easier for the public to buy train tickets and to choose rail when they’re deciding how they will travel. We’ve come a long way from the early years when internet sales were a niche market, and today there is a rich diversity of retailers who are all promoting UK rail and offering travellers a wide range of choice. This is also an important anniversary for Trainline as a company, and the journey we have been on through years of innovation and investment to become one of the UK’s most successful tech companies. 25 years on from the launch of our first website, we are exporting our tech across the continent and we’re proud to have established Trainline as Europe’s number one most downloaded rail travel app.”