Blog October 2, 2025

By Anthony Smith, Chair

Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander was reported by the Financial Times as describing the renationalisation of trains as part of a rail “revolution” designed to cut public subsidies, improve services, and “put more bums on seats.” It’s a bold ambition but for passengers, the test will be much simpler: does rail reform make their journeys easier, offer value for money tickets and more reliable? 

Few experiences frustrate passengers more than a delayed train, a confusing ticket purchase, or feeling they’ve overpaid because of an opaque fare system. For many travellers, it’s not just the railways that needs fixing but a closer look at what can be done to improve the ticketing buying process.  

Independent rail retailers have stepped in to make sense of this complexity. From user-friendly apps to value for money tickets; they’re the retailers of train tickets and they do it well. With thousands of passengers purchasing tickets from them, they know what they’re doing and continue to invest and innovate in the systems they’ve created, helping the Government sell more tickets and “put more bums on seats”.  

Yet, their ability to innovate is limited by rules, data restrictions, and structures that haven’t kept pace with modern expectations. Ticketing rules are complex, data access is uneven, and others often hold the cards. When something goes wrong; a cancellation, a delay, or a confusing fare, passengers often direct frustration toward the retailer, even when the root cause lies with the rail system itself. This dynamic undermines trust and discourages innovation. 

Rail reform, therefore, isn’t just about fixing tracks and timetables, it’s about unlocking a retail ecosystem where independent retailers can deliver choice, transparency, and innovation for the benefit of passengers – which is why it’s more important than ever to get it right. Retailers are committed to delivering more great customer experiences, but they need Government support to remove barriers to enable a more successful and thriving rail retailing market. 

For passengers the measure of success is much simpler: can I get a value for money ticket? Can I buy and use a ticket easily and reliably? Can I get from A to B without confusion or being told I’ve got the wrong ticket? And when things go wrong, can I get compensated without jumping through hoops and hurdles?  

Independent rail retailers are key to answering “yes.” With fair access, open data, and supportive policies, they can deliver innovation that transforms the customer experience and restores trust in the railway. If reform is to encourage more people to choose trains – then unlocking the barriers to innovation and ensuring fair access to data will be key to achieving it. This means creating an environment where independent retailers, Government, Great British Railways, and operators work even more closely together to deliver the seamless, customer-first railway passengers expect and deserve. 

With the reform bill set to be introduced this autumn, it’s crucial that passenger choice, value for money, innovation remain a top priority, as that will be the key to “more bums on seats”.

This month, we caught up with Darren Williams, Managing Director at Evolvi, to chat about emerging trends and the changing face of business travel. With decades of experience including 21 years at Eurostar, Darren brings a unique perspective on both the opportunities and challenges facing Britain’s railways. Our conversation covered everything from how business travel is evolving to why flexibility is more important than ever. 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and a fun fact?  

My name is Darren Williams, and I’m the Managing Director at Evolvi. Before joining the company, I spent 21 years at Eurostar, where I witnessed the opening of Ashford International, the high-speed line, St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet, and even the London Olympics. After those two decades, I took a year’s sabbatical before moving to RATP Dev, the international arm of the Paris Metro operator, then onto Omio where I was reunited with international rail. 

Fun fact: Evolvi is actually the first wholly UK-based or owned company I’ve ever worked for. That background means I can compare best practices from other railways and sometimes have a slightly different perspective. 

Who is Evolvi and what do they do? Can you tell us about Evolvi and what makes it unique? 

Evolvi is all about making UK rail booking simple, smart, and tailored to what businesses actually need. We take the complexity out of fares and give travel companies – from corporate travel firms to leisure operators and agencies – the tools to offer their customers more choice and flexibility. In short, we help our partners book rail travel quickly, easily, and in a way that fits their goals.

What makes Evolvi different from other travel booking websites?

Our platforms work in real time, with handy features like mobile and eTicketing, and can be customised through self-booking tools or APIs. Over 95% of our work is in the business travel market. Unlike consumer sites, we’re highly niche and focused on customisation for corporate travel policies.  

How do you persuade companies/staff to choose rail over other travel modes? 

For London routes, it’s about showing time savings, carbon benefits, and cost comparisons to air travel – all clearly displayed in our tools. The next challenge is making regional rail travel more attractive. It’s easy to justify rail between London and Manchester, but less so between smaller regional cities 

Evolvi has been a key player in the business travel sector for years. How is technology changing the way companies book and manage rail travel? 

Reliability, speed, and data are vital – people won’t wait for a site to load. Self-service is also key; most people prefer to book without calling anyone. AI hasn’t yet made a big impact in our sector just yet, but it’s likely the next frontier. But innovation is key – making systems more intuitive more flexible and making the user experience better.  

Are you seeing any new trends in business travel since the pandemic? For example, changes in peak travel times, journey patterns, or class of travel? 

Business travel has grown steadily each year since 2020, though it’s still not back to 2019 levels. Overall, people are travelling less as remote meetings have replaced some in-person ones. Booking patterns have become more polarised around 20% book the day before travel, and another 20% book two weeks in advance, with the remaining bookings in between. That said, we are seeing more people choose trains, so the trend is definitely moving in the right direction.  

Has hybrid working changed corporate rail travel demand? 

Not drastically for our market. It’s impacted season ticket sales more than corporate travel. The bigger shift is fewer face-to-face meetings overall, but the trips that remain are still essential. 

Q: The rail industry is going through reform in the UK – what impact do you think this will have on corporate travel and the businesses you serve? 

As long as investment is there, demand will always follow. One of our main concerns is maintaining access to rich, customisable fare data. In other countries, state railways often restrict how data can be used, and we hope that doesn’t happen here. Having open access to this data is essential, as it allows us to present customers with more choice, more flexibility, and the ability to find the journeys and fares that work best for them. 

If you could make one change to fares or ticketing, what would it be? 

Clarity over simplification. Your average business travellers need fares that are easy to understand without hidden restrictions. The language should be consistent across all platforms and frontline staff training should reflect that. 

We’d like to thank Darren for sharing his experience and perspectives on the changing face of business travel. Evolvi’s focus on innovation, flexibility, and smarter booking tools positions them as a leader in the sector, helping businesses make rail travel simpler and more sustainable.

Find out more about Evolvi and how they’re making business rail travel smarter and simpler.

Blog August 14, 2025

By Anthony Smith, Chair

The future of Britain’s railways has often been described with a mix of hope and scepticism. It’s no secret the railways need help to get back on track (mind the pun). But things are changing. With the right people in place and the right commitments being made, Britain’s rail future is looking brighter but we must ensure that choice, competition, and innovation remain at the heart of change.  

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is determined to change the story with Great British Railways (GBR). In a recent Times article, she said the new GBR will be run “like a proper business,” adding: “It needs to be a lean, agile organisation that is focused on the passenger but also focused on innovation.” Of course, the industry faces challenges far bigger than ticketing. There’s infrastructure to modernise, integrated transport to build, and fares to simplify. It’s not perfect, but with transport professionals at the helm and private-sector thinking brought into a publicly owned model, a new track is being laid. But there is one area of rail that already operates like a proper business, focused on passengers and innovation – and it works exceptionally well: it’s independent rail retailing.   

For years, third-party rail retailers have boosted industry revenue, reduced costs, and driven innovation – all while keeping passengers at the centre. Generating around £5bn annually, these retailers design their digital apps around customer needs, tailoring their marketing and services accordingly. That’s why they’re passenger champions. With new players entering the market, competition thrives, fuelling even more innovation and we’re already seeing the benefits: digital-savvy apps, barcode ticketing, and split-ticketing are making rail journeys easier and sometimes cheaper.  

Our members believe GBR should be run like a business, and they’ve seen first-hand how healthy competition, innovation, and choice drive positive outcomes. That same mindset should guide the introduction of GBR’s retailing model –  competing fairly alongside all retailers, prioritising passengers, and making rail travel more attractive. For GBR to truly succeed, its retailing arm must operate on a level playing field, licensed and regulated in line with third-party retailers. Equal competition in ticketing, the adoption of smart digital solutions, and a constant focus on passengers are essential. Get this right, and rail won’t just get back on track –  it will lead the way, boosting revenue and cutting costs. 

To learn more about Independent Rail Retailers and our members, read our prospectus 

Blog July 23, 2025

By Anthony Smith, Chair

Just over 25 years ago, Britain sold its first train ticket online. Fast forward to today, and passengers enjoy more choice than ever, from mobile apps and websites to contactless payments. Independent rail retailers have been central to this transformation, using technology to make train travel easier, more affordable, and more accessible – but now’s not the time to stand still.

Recent figures from the Department for Transport show that rail travel is getting back on track. The number of people arriving at major cities by train has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, reaching the highest point since records began in 2010. More people are choosing rail as their preferred way to travel which is why now is the time to get ticketing right, making journeys simpler, smarter, and more passenger friendly.

We know that if we want to make journeys better for customers, we must get fares and ticketing right and the key is innovation. For years, third-party retailers (TPRs) have led the way: from split-ticketing and barcodes to inclusive, accessible apps; and there’s so much more they can do. Independent retailers aren’t just selling tickets – they’re passenger champions. They’re building smarter apps, powerful data tools, and modern tech infrastructure to make train travel the obvious choice. And by doing so, they help reduce costs for government, delivering better value for taxpayers and getting more people to choose trains over cars. What’s not to like?

With the rail reform response still pending, our members remain hopeful that change will put passengers first. If we harness innovation to deliver fairer, more transparent fares, we can rebuild trust and grow the railway. Our members stand ready to innovate, create practical solutions like automatic compensation, pay-as-you-go ticketing, and digital season tickets with no new legislation or extra funding required. Passengers want quick compensation, simple travel options, and fair prices – and independent rail retailers are ready to deliver.

So, what’s holding them back?

With just a few targeted policy changes, our members can work with government to make rail retail simpler, smarter, and more efficient; they already have the tools, technology, and insight to increase revenue and reduce costs. It’s time for the industry to work together to create a modern, sustainable, and passenger-first rail network and it all starts with ticketing.

Let’s be ambitious. Let’s shift people from cars to trains, fill empty seats, and grow the network for the future.

Read more about how our members can help the government boost revenue and cut costs in our prospectus.