Trainline sales continue to rise amid rail nationalisation fears
Trainline has hiked its forecasts after a strong start to the second half of the year as demand for digital rail tickets continues to grow, sending shares up 10.6 per cent.
The British train ticket seller said it now expects total sales growth between 12 and 14 per cent, compared to the eight to 12 per cent it previously predicted.
It also revised revenue guidance upwards to between 11 and 13 per cent, compared to a range of seven to 11 per cent growth before.
“Trainline has delivered strong growth in H1 FY2025 and is increasingly benefiting from operating leverage as it scales,” the company told markets on Monday.
The FTSE 250 online retailer has forecast adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of around 2.6 per cent of ticket sales.
Its previously stated guidance range for the full year 2025, originally set in May 2024, was improved last month following increased demand for digital tickets and amid fewer UK rail strikes.
Trainline will report its half year results in full on 7 November.
In the first half of the year, Trainline said net ticket sales rose 14 per cent year on year to £3bn, while revenue soared 17 per cent to £229m. This boosted adjusted EBITDA up 44 per cent to £82m.
In the UK, net ticket sales hit £2bn, 15 per cent higher year on year, driven by more people switching to digital tickets.
The second upgrade may go some way to ease investor jitters over potential rail nationalisation reforms under the new government, which could hit Trainline’s bottom line.
Last week though, it emerged that ministers are plotting to close an initiative that allows private train companies in England to rake in extra profits if they grow passenger revenue above a predetermined level.
Rumours of a rival state-owned ticket operator sent Trainline’s shares plummeting at certain points last year.