Sabre Corporation and Trainline Partner Solutions (TPS), a distributor of global rail content, announced an agreement to introduce new multi-national rail content to Sabre’s travel marketplace. The partnership, according to the announcement, underlines the importance of the high-growth rail segment for Sabre as travelers look for more sustainable, flexible travel options.

Italian train operators Trenitalia and Italo as well as SBB Switzerland and Germany’s Deutsche Bahn will be the first rail operators to be made available to Sabre-connected travel agents through this collaboration. Focused on international distribution, the content will be available exclusively outside the providers’ home markets.

Industry studies indicate that rail travel is on a growth trajectory coming out of the pandemic, according to the announcement. A study by TPS earlier this year revealed that two-thirds (67%) of businesses were concerned about the carbon footprint of their businesses’ travel in 2022, and more than seven out of ten (73%) wanted to take more trips by lower-carbon travel modes such as rail.

Sabre Rail enables agencies to easily search, book and service train tickets through an intuitive graphical user interface with unified workflows, according to the company . Travel agents can also build multi-modal transport itineraries with air-rail itineraries.

Chinmai Sharma, global head – lodging, ground and sea, Sabre Travel Solutions, said there are numerous reasons for travelers to choose train journeys, from productivity and comfort considerations to environmental concerns to cost efficiency. Through this collaboration, he said, “we are enabling our travel agents to effectively respond to evolving consumer expectations and deliver even better service and enhanced content to their customers.”