Our solutions
Trainstations
For more than 23,000 major train stations across Europe, we offer a current overview of all available facilities. Perfect for when you have a longer layover and want to know if there’s Wi-Fi, a healthy meal option, or a delicious barista coffee to enjoy.
Real-time travel updates
Is your train delayed? Or maybe it’s departing from a different platform? Staying realtime informed is key to ensuring a smooth journey. That’s why we offer a unique service that notifies travelers of any changes to their booked train within Europe. Our API can be integrated by companies in direct contact with train travelers, e.g. booking platforms and travel management companies (TMCs).
Applications
We don’t target train travelers directly but focus us on business partnerships (B2B), primarily as a data source for companies that do interact directly with train travelers. Think of ticket resellers, online booking tools (OBT’s) and Travel Management Companies (TMC’s). OBT’s and TMC’s are aiming to offer train travel more often as a sustainable alternative to flights. Our service adds significant value by enabling train ticket booking through OBT’s and TMC’s and providing real-time updates throughout the journey, enhancing the train travel experience. We’re now at a stage where we’re ready to partner with a OBT or TMC as our launching customer. If this interests you, we’d be happy to get in touch!
About
We are Joost van Liempt and Pascal de Jonge. We met while working at Greenchoice, where Joost is the IT Development Team Lead, and Pascal is a backend developer in one of the development teams under Joost’s leadership.
Our shared passion for reducing the carbon footprint brought us together. Pascal began researching ways to improve information about train travel across Europe by collecting real-time train data. During this process, we identified a growing demand and support for enhancing the train experience as a competitive and eco-friendly alternative to air travel within Europe.
Our mission
At Railtime, we’re contributing to a greener future by encouraging travelers to switch from plane to train 🌍. Our accurate, up-to-date travel information makes train journeys more accessible and appealing, helping to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.
Our vision
We believe the future of European mobility lies in train travel, driven by EU policy and growing climate awareness 🚄. We’re committed to creating a seamless travel experience by providing comprehensive and reliable travel information, making trains the obvious choice for sustainable travel.
Media
There’s a lot happening in the realm of international train travelling. Why does this mode of travel face so many challenges? What are the key opportunities for improvement? And what benefits can we gain from this? What developments are taking place in business travel, and what do employers prioritize? We’ve compiled the most important news items, research, and articles here. Enjoy your reading and viewing!
VPRO Tegenlicht
In this episode, VPRO Tegenlicht follows individuals who have experienced firsthand the challenges within the complex network of trains and railways.
Everyone seems to agree: we need to fly less and travel more by train. Whether there’s consensus or not, systems and political ambitions don’t quite align. While in the 1950s, the train was presented as the means of transport that would connect Europeans—both literally and figuratively—. Today, train travelers often encounter national interests that don’t always align with European railway ideals. The drive for efficiency and numbers obstructs true connectivity. What has happened to those European ideals, and how can we restore that connection?
De klimaatkwestie
In this episode, the focus is on the question of how we can revive international train travel. A traveler taking the train abroad certainly doesn’t make things easy for themselves. Book a ticket to, say, Copenhagen—if you even manage to navigate the various foreign websites—and you’ll find a journey that takes twelve hours, is more expensive than flying, and requires six transfers. If you miss a connection due to a delayed train, you’re left to figure out the rest of the journey on your own.
However, the outlook for international train travel is promising. In recent months, a wave of new rail operators has emerged, aiming to breathe new life into international train services. How we can revive international train travel is explained by Trouw editor Hanne Obbink in this episode of De Klimaatkwestie.
Analysis: International Train Travel Becoming the Norm for a Growing Group of Business Travelers
Business travelers are increasingly opting for trains on routes up to 400 kilometers. This is evident from a new analysis of business flight and train data conducted by the Coalition for Alternative Travel and Natuur & Milieu among large employers. At the same time, business travelers face obstacles in choosing the train. The organizations suggest that significant gains could be achieved by making the train the default option instead of the plane in booking systems.
