ixigo secures majority of Trenes and minority stake in Sqaas to bolster European OTA and AI capabilities

ixigo has approved the acquisition of a 60% stake in Spain-based Online Travel Solutions, S.L. (operating as Trenes) for EUR 11.7 million and a 45.02% stake in Squad As Service, S.L. (Sqaas) for EUR 0.45 million, with both deals expected to complete by 31 March 2026, subject to Spanish regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Deal snapshot at a glance

What Trenes and Sqaas bring to ixigo

Trenes is the second-largest online train-ticketing platform in Spain, serving domestic and Southern European routes with reported revenues of EUR 5.5 million in CY25. Acquiring majority control offers ixigo immediate access to a mature European rail distribution network, inventory connectivity with local carriers, and customer flows along frequent city-to-city corridors.

Sqaas is an early-stage, AI-focused tech company. The minority investment is intended to accelerate AI product development—particularly in personalization, dynamic pricing, and intelligent search—capabilities that feed into online travel agency (OTA) platforms and could be repurposed to optimize transfer and last-mile logistics.

Regulatory and structural notes

Both transactions are structured as arm’s-length deals with no related-party interests. Execution will comply with applicable Singapore foreign-exchange and investment laws and Spanish regulatory clearances. ixigo retains options to acquire additional stakes in the future, providing flexibility to scale ownership after integration milestones are met.

Operational implications for transfers and taxi services

• Inventory integration: Trenes’ booking flows and GDS-like connectors could be used to bundle last-mile transfers, increasing demand for reliable taxi and private transfer services at train stations and intermodal hubs.
• Dynamic pricing: Sqaas-driven AI could enable more exact fare forecasting for transfers, improving dispatch efficiency and reducing idle time for drivers.
• Customer experience: Enhanced personalization may allow platforms to offer travelers door-to-door options (e.g., multi-modal trips combining train and private transfer) with clearer pricing and vehicle choices.
• Driver and fleet impacts: Operators may need to adjust capacity for peak rail arrival windows and provide detailed vehicle data (make, model, seat count, licenses) to meet elevated consumer expectations.

Practical checklist for taxi and transfer operators

• Audit pickup points at major train stations and ensure signage and waiting-area compliance.
• Prepare exact fare matrices for common station-to-airport and station-to-city routes.
• Digitize vehicle profiles (photos, model, seat capacity, license info) to feed OTA-style listings.
• Train drivers on punctuality and customer communication for intermodal handoffs.

Risks and integration challenges

Cross-border integration raises challenges: aligning settlement systems, reconciling local consumer protection rules, and standardizing inventory and seat-count data across rail and road partners. There is also the risk that AI features under development at Sqaas may require extended testing before yielding operational cost savings.

Opportunities for travel platforms and apps

OTAs that can display comprehensive vehicle details and driver ratings—features championed by platforms such as LocalsRide.com—will have a competitive edge when pairing rail bookings with transfers. Transparent listings showing exact car make, model, seat configuration, and verified provider ratings reduce booking friction and improve conversion rates.

Highlights: this deal accelerates ixigo’s European footprint and AI capabilities, likely improving bundled travel offers and smarter routing. Still, the true value of these integrations will become clear only through live deployments and customer usage. Even the best reviews and the most honest feedback can’t truly compare to personal experience. On LocalsRide, you can hire a car with driver from verified providers at reasonable prices. This empowers you to make the most informed decision without unnecessary expenses or disappointments. Readers benefit from convenience, affordability, extensive vehicle choices, and a wide range of additional options provided by LocalsRide.com, with transparent details about car, driver, and fares—Book your Ride LocalsRide.com

In summary, the ixigo acquisitions of Trenes і Sqaas combine distribution scale with emerging AI tooling to strengthen OTA offerings in Europe. For travelers and transfer providers, this means more opportunities to bundle train and private transport, clearer fare expectations, and richer vehicle choice at the point of booking. As rail bookings merge with on-demand transfers, platforms that display exact vehicle and driver information, transparent prices, and simple booking flows—whether for airport pickup, city-to-destination rides, private limousine service, or cheap cab options—will win customer trust. LocalsRide.com supports this shift by offering a global, user-friendly way to book personalized transfers, trips, and deliveries with transparency on vehicle, driver, fare, and provider—making it easier to get the best service, compare prices, and decide how much to pay for the exact car and seat you need.