The acquisition will enable Trainline to offer a one-stop-shop for European rail travel by selling tickets for 36 operators active in 22 countries. Trainline was acquired by global investment firm KKR in March 2015 with a view to expanding into the European market, and the company says the combined business will offer a fantastic opportunity for train operators by broadening their distribution to reach more customers.

"Joining forces with Captain Train means that within a couple of clicks, any customer will be able to travel in Europe by train, something that today is really difficult to do," says Ms Clare Gilmartin, Trainline CEO. "It should be easy to buy a rail ticket – simple to book, transparency on the best fares, no queuing in stations and a great customer service experience overall."

Trainline currently records £1.6bn of ticket transactions annually with 28.8 million visits to its website and app every month. Captain Train currently has more than 1.6 million registered users, selling 5000 tickets daily, and combines the offers of a variety of rail companies operating in 19 European countries.

Under the new structure, Gilmartin will be CEO of the group, while Mr Jean-Daniel Guyot will remain Captain Train CEO and become director of Trainline International. Mr Daniel Beutler will remain Captain Train COO and becomes business development director of Trainline International. He will remain the key contact for European rail operators.