" After seven years of hard work, the project that started in my 12 m² home, Captain Train, has become a major player in the European transport industry (...) The problem with this market is that it's a huge task, and we need all the help we can get. Trainline (a sort of Captain Train for our friends on the other side of the Channel) came to see us last year and suggested that we join forces and pool our visions. ". It was with these words, posted simply on the French start-up's blog, that its founder Jean-Daniel Guyot announced the acquisition of Captain Train by Trainline on 14 March. He and his teams then responded just as simply to the various comments, doubts and congratulations posted by regular users of the platform.
Trainline, the UK's independent rail booking platform, has been able to count on KKR's financial capabilities since 2015, and has posted solid results. On the eve of its 20th anniversary, Trainline sells over €2.1 billion worth of train tickets a year in the UK. So it's easy to understand why the former Captaine Train decided to adopt an anglicised identity last September...
However, Captain Train will not be dissolved within the Trainline entity, with Jean-Daniel Guyot adding to his business card the position of Director of Trainline International, which will therefore coexist - at least for a while - with that of Chairman of Captain Train. In addition, the French platform will retain its offices in Paris. " Does this mean that the whole Captain Train team will move to London, or worse, disappear? No, we will strive to create a unique product from our respective products, and we will remain the European company we always wanted to create. "sums up the founder of the rail platform. " The new group now has two offices, one in London and one in Paris. Both offices will continue to grow and develop. Captain Train is still Captain Train, just the same, but more ambitious. ".
