Omio Group announced on 16 July that it had agreed to acquire Rail Europe, the rail distribution platform that sells tickets for European operators to travel agents and travellers worldwide.
Why Omio Group is buying Rail Europe
Omio said Rail Europe would sit alongside its consumer booking platform, its B2B distribution business and the Rome2Rio travel discovery brand, keeping its own brand. The combined group would sell about 22 million train tickets a year and work with more than 28,000 transport operators and travel sellers in over 70 countries.
“This deal marks a transformative moment for the future of global ground transport.”
Deal terms and financing
The value of the transaction was not disclosed.
Regulatory approvals and timing
Closing was subject to an advisory opinion from Rail Europe's Comité Social et Économique. The transaction subsequently proceeded; in September Rail Europe chief executive Björn Bender stepped down and Omio's Jean-François Bessiron became its President.
Market context
Rail Europe sells about 5 million tickets a year and works with around 250 European rail operators, including SNCF, Eurostar, Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn. Omio previously bought Rome2Rio and BusRadar.
