Uber Starts Testing Train and Bus Bookings in the UK

Uber has started testing a feature that will allow citizens of the United Kingdom to book bus and rail transport. By allowing users to book alternative transport types at the same time as their traditional car rides, Uber hopes to become a one-stop shop for their journeys.

Andrew Brem, general manager of Uber UK, said they are very excited to launch their new travel offering this summer, which allows a seamless door-to-door travel experience across the United Kingdom.

For the feature, Uber has partnered with Omio based in Berlin. Omio has its own app but is also offering a business-to-business application programming interface (API) that it has been providing to a growing number of third parties, including London North Eastern Railway and Kayak.

The service still features over 1,000 transportation partners across 37 countries, and bus and train travel are the specialities of Omio, but it is also supporting ferry and sir transport. As part of the partnership, Uber will be paying Omio to license its technology, and give the company a share of the trips that are booked through Uber app.

This new feature will bring Uber closer to realizing its vision of making the company the new ‘Amazon of transportation’.