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SilverRail acquires Linkon, European rail technology pioneer

Linkon provides a comprehensive IT platform for rail operators including an inventory management system, strong settlement capability and a highly innovative ticketing system, with support for both m-tickets and e-tickets.

SilverRail Technologies, innovation leader in passenger rail search and booking technologies, announced the acquisition of Linkon, the rail technology company powering the Swedish rail market with solutions ranging from inventory hosting through to mobile ticketing. SilverRail believes the acquisition will accelerate its ability to innovate the way rail is accessed and sold across the globe and improve the rail industry’s ability to compete effectively with regional air travel.

“Linkon is a great fit for us,” explained Aaron Gowell, SilverRail’s co-founder and CEO.  “Our global rail search and transaction platform is revolutionary for the industry, but our ability to innovate is often constrained by the limitations of the underlying rail operator systems. Linkon brings us direct access to one of the most forward-looking rail markets in the world. As a combined force, we’ll be able to deliver a world class customer-centric ecommerce experience for global rail travel.”

Linkon provides a comprehensive IT platform for rail operators including an inventory management system, strong settlement capability and a highly innovative ticketing system, with support for both m-tickets and e-tickets. 85% of all rail tickets in the Swedish market are currently delivered via mobile, the highest rate of mobile ticketing in the global travel market.

SilverRail is acquiring 75% of the business with current owners, SJ, the Swedish national rail carrier, retaining 25%. SilverRail will be retaining the full Linkon team and offices in Stockholm and Norrköping, Sweden. The acquisition means SilverRail is now a 200 strong company with offices in London, Boston, Brisbane, Stockholm and Norrköping.

“There has never been more growth or investment in global rail, but it is still extremely difficult to search for and book rail travel. Until it is as simple and easy to book a rail trip as it is to book a flight, the rail industry will not realise its full potential,” continued Gowell. “Combining Linkon’s expertise from the rail operators’ perspective with our own strong track-record working in a global market place makes SilverRail extremely well placed to solve this challenge.”

“Linkon and SilverRail share the same focus and passion for serving the rail industry,” said Christer Jernberg, CEO, Linkon. “We are extremely pleased to be combining with SilverRail and are excited about the prospect to further innovate our technology platform and offer rail operators (and passengers) around the globe the opportunity to benefit from the same positive customer experience Swedish travellers currently enjoy.”

Aaron Gowell and Will Phillipson founded SilverRail in 2009 with the vision of connecting every major rail carrier in the world and transforming search and ticketing. By consolidating content across multiple rail carrier systems, SilverRail has created a global marketplace for sellers and suppliers to connect, a feat historically close to impossible.

Today, the SilverRail platform is connected to markets accounting for $60bn in rail transactions throughout North America and Europe and is now looking to move into Asia, with the goal of having all major global rail carriers integrated over the coming years.

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Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.

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