thetrainline.com unveils free iPhone app from Kizoom

Developers of MyRail Lite collaborate with thetrainline.com to give rail passengers the definitive free UK journey planning service for iPhone users

London, 21 October 2009 – Leading online rail ticket retailer, thetrainline.com has launched a free, state-of-the-art UK train journey planning iPhone app for rail passengers developed in conjunction with Kizoom. Testament to its clear value to rail passengers, the app has already taken second place in the free app ratings, since being released this weekend.

Offered as a complimentary service by the UK's leading online rail ticket retailer, thetrainline.com app has been designed to reflect the quality, speed and user experience of Kizoom's popular MyRail Lite service. Covering the entire UK rail network, thetrainline.com app is easy to use and highly intuitive with compelling features from multi-faceted journey planning options to the innovative use of Twitter.

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The core Journey Planning service presents a simple, start-to-finish route planning feature, using station search by name or on a map showing the user's location and nearest rail stations. Stored Timetables enables users to store, say, the week's commute timetable which can be viewed offline – handy for travelling through tunnels and easily updatable.

Away from the regular commute, Next Train Home gives users stations and departure times from their current location anywhere in the UK to their stored home destination, and the Journey Details page helpfully displays useful, end-to-end information such as local maps and taxi firm details etc. For travellers going to and from London, there's up-to-date Tube information, valuable to store for offline access anytime.

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Train Tweets

Quick to integrate social media with travel services, thetrainline.com app is unique in giving passengers the compelling option to tweet other passengers about their journeys; bringing travellers together in sharing thoughts or sharing taxis! This quirky – and likely popular – function has a pre-loaded # tag specific to the users' trains, so it's simple to engage other passengers and spice-up the long trek home!

With usability at the heart of the app design, iPhone users will appreciate the journey planning at-a-glance capability which produces a calendar style format in the Timeline View when the phone is turned on its side.

Iain Hildreth, marketing director thetrainline.com, said "This collaboration with Kizoom has brought together the best of internet customer driven expertise in both service and technology. thetrainline.app is a fantastic rail passenger application with a range of easy to use features and functions to make planning a train journey as easy and stress free as possible. Not only do you get a great, useful tool but it is also completely free of charge."

As pioneers of passenger information technology, and forerunners in mobile phone applications with MyRail Lite, Kizoom has brought in depth experience, creativity and technical know-how to thetrainline.app project.

"This app brings together years of experience in delivering innovative, high quality travel services by both thetrainline.com and Kizoom, said Tim Johnson, product development manager at Kizoom. "We've collaborated on something that is highly usable and compelling, and offers some quirky features. We're particularly excited about introducing social media to train travel; enabling passengers to communicate en route opens up new dimensions to rail travel and a world of possible brief encounters!"

thetrainline.app is now free to download here. Alternatively you can visit the iPhone App Store and simply search for thetrainline, or find it in the Travel section.

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For further information and images, please contact:

Hannah Beauchamp
Marketing Assistant
Tel: +44 (0)20 7539 2743
Email:press@kizoom.com
www.kizoom.com

About Kizoom

Kizoom works on behalf of transport authorities and operators to transform multi-modal transport data into relevant and easy to digest information. It then delivers this information across a wide range of channels - the web, mobile phones, kiosks and screens - to enable the travelling public and transport professionals to make informed decisions.

About thetrainline.com

thetrainline.com is the leading UK rail ticket retailer and rail ticket information provider, offering fast and easy access to timetables, fares, reservations and tickets through its Internet site and contact centre operations in the UK train travel sector. In addition to its own website, www.thetrainline.com, it operates retail websites for a number of Train Operating Companies who sell rail tickets online, as well as providing a rail business travel service direct to a number of blue chip corporations and travel agents.