"Unparalleled content" across Europe available
Amadeus has signed a partnership deal with Rail Europe to give its agents access to "unparalleled pan-European rail content".
The agreement gives Amadeus agents access to all the rail distributors schedules for high speed services, sleeper trains and rail passes.
The travel IT and GDS will connect the Rail Europe content through its Amadeus Selling Platform.
The new scheme will be piloted among agents first in India before being rolled out in Q4 to Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America.
It said agents would be able to book rail, including details of a customer's Passenger Name Record (PNR), "making this just as easy to integrate as any of the airline, car or hotel products available".
Diane Bouzebiba, head of Amadeus Rail, said: "We are witnessing the renaissance of rail in Europe.
"Travellers coming to Europe are demanding more and more that rail is part of their trip.
"They see the benefits of rail in terms of comfort and speed, and also because it brings more to travel than just the destination.
"Our partnership with Rail Europe will strive to improve travel agents access to rail content, therefore generating additional revenue opportunities and extending the level of service."
Pierre-Stéphane Austi, Rail Europe's ceo, said: "We have already entered a period of rapid evolution with our distribution system and the Amadeus GDS network is an obvious partner of Rail Europe's global development programme."
www.amadeus.com www.raileurope.com