The new contract extension aims to give thetrainline.com better cost-effectiveness through innovations such as virtualisation of the train ticket retailer's entire server installation, located at a Capgemini data centre in Yorkshire, and involves increased use of Capgemini's Rightshore delivery model, with much of the applications support work to be undertaken over the five-year period at a Capgemini facility in Bangalore. The new contract extension continues a relationship between thetrainline.com and Capgemini that dates back to 1997, making the uninterrupted series of contracts one of the longest-running in UK outsourcing.

Murray Hennessy, Chief Executive Officer of thetrainline.com, said: 'We are delighted to have appointed Capgemini for a further five years and will  continue to work with them in a fully collaborative way that ensures great teamwork and effective results. Our new deal will give us and our customers an improved service with   higher flexibility, greater control, and transparency of processes. We look forward to building on our already successful relationship.'

He added that effective IT will continue to be of critical importance to thetrainline.com in maintaining its position as the UK's leading online rail ticket retailer. In addition to its own website thetrainline.com operates rail ticket 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.

Greg Hyttenrauch, Chief Executive Officer of Capgemini Outsourcing Services in the UK, said: 'This extension is a clear demonstration of the importance we place on a proactive partnership approach with our long standing clients such as thetrainline.com.  I am personally pleased that thetrainline.com has continued to value our focus on cost reduction, service improvement and innovation by giving us a further five-year period to work with their dynamic teams'

"Capgemini India has been the delivery centre for some of our large global outsourcing contracts. The extension of this  contract is a testimony to the high level of intimacy we share with our clients and our ability to drive sustained innovation from a solution and efficiency standpoint. This will be a global collaborative effort for Capgemini, as different work areas will be shared across our delivery centres will greater applications support coming from India", said Salil Parekh, Executive Chairman, Capgemini India.