Captain Train to Be Acquired by Trainline

The transaction will combine the #1 independent rail ticket retailers in the UK and Continental Europe.

On March 14, it was announced that Willkie client Captain Train will be acquired by Trainline. The transaction combines the #1 independent rail ticket retailers in the UK and Continental Europe to deliver a one-stop shop for rail travel across Europe, providing access to 22 countries and 36 operators across the continent. Willkie represented Captain Train and certain shareholders in connection with the proposed acquisition.

Captain Train provides an online booking platform and mobile app that allows customers to book train tickets without hassle and at the best price, covering 19 European countries. Captain Train has more than 1.6 million registered users and currently sells over 5,000 tickets daily. The company was funded by Alven Capital, CM-CIC Capital Privé and Index Ventures.

Trainline is the UK's leading independent provider of rail tickets and journey planning as well as the leading independent train travel app. Acquired by KKR in 2015, Trainline handles £1.6 billion ticket transactions annually.

The deal was handled by partners Daniel Hurstel, Matthew Dean and Claire McDaid; national partner Grégory de Saxcé; special European counsel Philippe Grudé; and associates Antonio Laino, Joshua Begner and Xavier Nassoy.