UK - Exponent Private Equity buys Trainline in £163m deal

The company was bought from a consortium of shareholders that include Virgin, Stagecoach and National Express transport groups.

Trainline was launched in 1999 to sell rail tickets through the internet and call-centres. The business has expanded in the last seven years, acquiring its rival QJump from National Express Group in 2004 and, in addition to its own website, thetrainline.com, it operates retail websites for 16 of the 21 Train Operating Companies as well as providing a rail business travel service direct to a number of blue chip corporations and travel agents. In the year to March 2006, the company sold some £400m of train tickets earning revenue of £47.5m and Ebitda of £11.7m.

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Send to  

• Topics
• Buyouts
• UK / Ireland
• Consumer