SAP Concur and Trainline open up Europe rail for simplified international business travel

New partnership enables cross-border rail travel for corporate trips

SAP Concur and Trainline Partner Solutions have today announced a new partnership that will allow business travellers and travel managers to book cross-border rail trips through Concur Travel, streamlining the travel experience.

Previously, due to the complexity and large number of rail providers in European regions, businesses have needed multiple licenses to book their employees on cross-border trips - and even then, individual bookings for each rail leg are required, making the experience and journey difficult and overly fragmented.

SAP Concur and Trainline’s partnership changes this by bringing the consumer journey into the business world. Business travellers, travel managers and travel management companies can now instead book multiple domestic and international rail journeys for the same trip, greatly simplifying the process. It will bring the diverse mix of rail operators and distribution strategies into one single integration via the Concur Travel platform, offering a comprehensive and seamless cross-border rail experience.

With rail an increasingly popular transport choice for journeys under two and a half hours - and a more sustainable alternative to air travel - it is essential for a more connected rail for business travel.

Paul Dear, Vice President – Concur Travel EMEA, SAP Concur, said, “At SAP Concur, we work hard to identify solutions for travel managers’ problems. One such headache was the ability - or lack of - to facilitate cross-border rail. Our solution with Trainline directly fixes that, whilst also meaning travel managers can offer more sustainable and affordable route options to their business travellers - providing a smooth and unified user experience across the entire SAP Concur portfolio.”

Andrew Cruttenden, General Manager Trainline Partner Solutions, added: “We’re proud to strengthen our collaboration with SAP Concur and extend our partnership across Europe. While the rail market continues to grow in both complexity and scale but also demand from business travellers, their needs and the needs of travel management companies remain clear: they want seamless access to a comprehensive rail offering—whether for domestic, cross-border, or international journeys - across the UK and Europe. They expect the same intuitive features they enjoy from consumer platforms, including full autonomy to manage their bookings. By bringing this experience into Concur Travel, we’re together making rail a more accessible, sustainable travel option for business travellers.”

France’s national rail carrier SNCF, Spain’s Renfe and the Eurostar have been scheduled for SAP Concur migration by September, with content from another Spanish rail provider, Iryo, and Italy’s Trenitalia due on Concur Travel by the end of the year.