Trenitalia, the primary train operator in Italy, and Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and transaction processor, have formed a partnership to distribute Trenitalia content through all Amadeus channels.

Travel agents around the Middle East and the world will be able to book both Trenitalia’s high speed rail products Frecce Alta Velocità (namely Frecciarossa and Frecciargento), and Frecciabianca through the existing sales channels and through the Amadeus global distribution system, which links 91,000 points of sale worldwide.

The rest of the medium and long-distance routes of Trenitalia, the transport division of the Italian FS Group, will follow shortly, a statement said.

Thanks to this partnership, Trenitalia will be able to draw on new market segments while expanding distribution beyond its traditional channels, developing its presence in such strategic markets as Central Europe, North America and Asia.

This innovative solution will provide travel agencies with greater ease and flexibility when selecting and booking Trenitalia travel and, as a result, Trenitalia customers will be able to enjoy a more convenient booking and connection service that will satisfy the needs of modern travellers.

As part of the agreement, travel agents who use the Amadeus Selling Platform will have a standardised way to access Trenitalia services, in turn making bookings through an air/rail-based search solution, FlyByRail Track, and a rail-based search solution, Rail Agent Track; designed exclusively for rail services.

To this end, it will be far easier for Middle Eastern and International travellers as well as travel agents to effectively compare Trenitalia services with flights on the same route, ensuring that travellers have greater choice and transparency of options whilst at the same time improving productivity for the agent.

Thomas Drexler, head of Amadeus Rail, said: “On our goal of developing a multi-provider rail distribution platform, we are delighted to start a new relationship with Trenitalia. It is a very exciting time for the European rail industry as it extends its network, and looks to attract new travellers to the benefits of rail travel. Key to growth is delivering the type of access and availability that is common in the airline sector which is why international distribution is critical for railways today.”

“By making Trenitalia inventory available across multiple channels, and focusing on delivering a more advanced customer experience, it will help to support global growth for the company.”

Vincenzo Soprano, Trenitalia managing director, said: “Many agree that high-speed rail is already the greatest innovation for Italy in this early part of the new millennium.”

“With our Frecce AV service we have pioneered this revolution and have reached new levels of excellence which we are especially proud of, but there is still more to do. We want to look beyond these achievements and always seek new challenges.

“Indeed, the agreement with Amadeus fits this strategy. Ultimately our overarching objective is to deliver effective, rapid access for travel professionals in key international markets enabling the sale of Trenitalia products and promoting the entire rail network across the country,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service