thetrainline.com (thetrainline.com)

Member Name: thole09

Product:	thetrainline.com
Date:	24/09/09 (34 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very fast loading times

Disadvantages: Inconvenient First Class booking option

TheTrainline.com is a National Rail accredited website which offers users timetables and ticket prices for the National Rail service. It also serves as a booking facility and can deliver tickets by post for a nominal charge. First launched in 1999, the website claims to have a userbase of over 8.4 million registered users and has made over 14 million transactions.

TheTrainline.com has always been my first choice when checking on ticket prices and timetables. I find myself making regular use of the local train service, so having a website as accessible as this is very helpful in planning for sudden travel. Upon loading the homepage the user is met with a sleek interface which is very self explanatory. At the left is a very large area with the heading "Get train times and tickets" and allows the user to input a requested departure station, arrival station and times of travel. The website will then quickly search for all available routes and display times and prices on a second page. I find each search using a broadband connection takes less than three seconds. This suggests a very powerful server which capable of handling numerous requests at once.

The interface features a white background which is accented by blue text and yellow highlights. I find this display quite easy to read but the highlighted text, often on prices which are found to be the lowest, can be difficult to read. When moving the mouse over a selected price or route, a small prompt similar to a speech bubble quickly loads and displays additional information regarding the selection. After selections are made the user then clicks "next" and is taken to a page for inputting payment and delivery details. I personally have not made use of the payment section so cannot comment on its effectiveness. I opt to make payments directly to a salesperson on board and have always found that the prices quoted on the website are the ones that I will be charged. Be wary, though, as some salespeople will attempt to charge a passenger with full prices even when one is traveling "off peak". My mum has made numerous purchases for long distance journeys and states the delivery time is quick and tickets are always accurate.

A possible complaint regarding this site is its slightly distant way of booking a first class ticket. If I happen to want to splurge on a long trip, it is required that I enter the advanced options section or specify first class ticket on a page after selecting a fare. This will recalculate the fare and is often a shock to see the first class price quoted on screen in comparison to the original standard price. Needless to say I often stick with the standard quote unless I am sure of the heightened quality of service on a specific train.

Overall, I find little to complain about regarding TheTrainline.com's service. I have always found that the website responds quickly to my search requests and that it is always online. I would highly recommend this website to those making use of a train service in the near future.

Summary: Thumbs up