TheTrainline has extended its partnership with the UK’s independent Travel Management Company (TMC), Hillgate Travel. The deal allows Hillgate Travel to integrate TheTrainline content into its online self booking tool using Trainline Connect, the rail retailer’s API, enabling the TMC to provide its clients and agents with an enhanced rail booking service.

The new rail booking service, powered by Trainline Connect, replaces Elgar at Hillgate Travel’s head office in London and will enable the TMC to offer its agents and corporate clients 293 million different rail and fare combinations, improved functionality and a multitude of fulfilment options including access to the national Ticket On Departure network.

Adrian Watts, Director of Sales and Distribution for TheTrainline, comments: “I am delighted that Hillgate Travel has chosen to extend its partnership with TheTrainline to offer a world class online rail booking solution to its corporate clients and agents. Our API, Trainline Connect, will integrate our content into their system creating an efficient and streamlined rail booking tool. A seamless rail booking system is absolutely essential to a company like Hillgate Travel, which is renowned for its high quality of service, and I’m sure that this new system will help the TMC to maintain its excellent client retention rate.”

Mark Bull, IT Director of Hillgate Travel comments: The Trainline API enables us to integrate full rail search and book facilities within our existing self-booking product. As a result we can offer a far more cost-effective model for our clients whilst providing the full range of fulfilment and distribution options which will become even more effective with the introduction of e-tickets across the network.

Hillgate Travel will begin using the new improved rail booking system powered by Trainline Connect from the beginning of April with a view to rolling it out across its offices nationwide by the end of the year.