Uber plans to add bookings for intercity trains, buses and car rental to its UK app as early as this summer, with both flight bookings and cross-channel train tickets to launch later this year.
The pilot programme is part of Uber's plans to become a “one-stop shop for door-to-door travel”.
The rail, bus and airline tickets will be available through partners whose services will be integrated into the app. Uber did not reveal the names of these partners.
In addition, the company hinted at adding hotels in the future in a statement from Jamie Heywood, Uber’s regional general manager for the UK, Northern and Eastern Europe.
The UK is one of Uber's largest markets outside of North America. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi first outlined his desire for a "super app" in 2018, but the pandemic has disrupted those plans.
The company noted that the new additions to its app can make “managing a business trip or airport transfer … a simple, seamless, service to meet all travel needs”.
In March, Uber was granted a new 30-month renewal licence to operate in London. Transport for London (TfL) had previously denied the company a renewal licence in November 2019. A UK judge later upheld Uber's appeal and granted it an 18-month licence in September 2020.