RateHawk Launches Rail Travel Booking Services for Tourism Professionals

Photo source: Rail Europe

RateHawk, an online B2B platform for booking hotels, air tickets, and transfers, has introduced a rail travel booking service on its platform.

RateHawk’s partners – travel agents, operators, and other industry professionals worldwide – can now book rail tickets across various European destinations.

The platform has reached an agreement with Rail Europe, the global reference brand for European train booking. The new service complements the existing travel options already available on RateHawk, which include accommodation, flights, car rentals, and transfers.

“Rail travel offers great opportunities for our partners’ businesses, enabling them to meet customer needs and attract new clients,” said Fredrik Bonnalt, Head of Non-Accommodation Supply at Emerging Travel Group, RateHawk’s parent company. “Travel agents and professionals can now offer hotel stays with rail tickets, providing a sustainable travel option.”

The launch of the rail service allows RateHawk’s partners to book all travel components within a single system. Rail tickets are available across 13 European countries including France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the UK, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria.

RateHawk’s launch of its rail product coincides with the start of the autumn business season, a time when strong demand is expected from Travel Management Companies (TMCs) booking business trips for their clients.

Convenient interface

According to RateHawk, an advantage of the new launch is its intuitive and convenient interface, which allows travel professionals to compare rail ticket options for the entire day in a single window. This feature streamlines the process for travel agents, allowing them to quickly filter options based on client preferences and easily select the best choices for their clients.

Travel professionals will have the flexibility to book trips using various payment methods, including payments by card, wire transfer, credit limit or overpayments, or by pay-by-link options. A particularly important feature for travel professionals is the ability to book railway tickets using their credit limit.

Rail Europe’s product portfolio features leading railway carriers across Europe, including Italo in Italy, Renfe and Iryo in Spain, SBB CFF FFS and Rhätische Bahn in Switzerland, ÖBB in Austria, TGV InOui in France, Rail Delivery Group in the UK, Eurostar in France, the UK, the Netherlands, and Belgium, as well as RegioJet in the Czech Republic.

“We have ambitious plans to expand the railway service and are seeking collaborations with rail ticket suppliers both in Europe and across other continents,” added RateHawk’s Fredrik Bonnalt.

Photo source: Rail Europe

According to Rail Europe CEO Björn Bender, by empowering travel agents with the best tools to integrate rail services, the collaboration with RateHawk aims to make every journey a memorable experience for travellers.

“This dynamic partnership reflects our shared commitment to offering seamless travel solutions through advanced technology,” said Bender.

Phocuswright’s 2024 data shows that rail gross bookings have grown steadily year over year, reaching $112 million in 2022, $147 million in 2023, and a projected $165 million in 2024. The global research firm also highlights an 18 percentage point increase in online rail penetration between 2019 and 2023, driven by key factors such as technological advancements and the environmental benefits of rail, which offers a lower carbon footprint compared to other modes of transportation.

“I have great confidence in RateHawk’s vision and capacity to promote rail, and together, we hope to shift travel preferences toward more sustainable options,” Bender added.

RateHawk offers travel agents, operators, TMCs, and other professionals a full range of travel services. The B2B platform boasts more than 2.6 million accommodations worldwide from over 280 suppliers, including over 100,000 directly contracted properties. In addition to accommodation, the B2B platform also offers flights from over 400 airlines, transfers in 150 countries, car rentals, and more.