Entrepreneurial Loughborough Grammar School alumnus, Alfie Willis (LGS 2020), has launched an innovative new train ticket app, Choo Choo, designed to take the stress out of rail travel. Since its launch in August, the app has already been downloaded over 1,000 times and has rolled out major user-driven improvements.
National Rail accredited, Choo Choo provides passengers with a transparent, simple, and user-friendly booking experience. It helps users identify when they can claim delay compensation, calculate how much they’re owed, and access the best possible fares through split ticketing, all without booking fees, intrusive ads, or unnecessary notifications.
After completing his A Levels at Loughborough Grammar School’s Sixth Form, Alfie studied Business Economics at the University of Exeter, with the inspiration for his start-up born from frustration with the UK’s complicated train compensation system.
Committed to making travel simple, and transparent, Choo Choo also provides real-time journey updates and instant alerts for delays, disruptions, and cancellations, keeping users informed every step of the way.
Reflecting on his journey, Alfie said: “The journey from LGS student to founding my own start-up has been anything but predictable, but my aversion to the status quo has proven valuable in spotting opportunities where others accept an inefficient process as part and parcel of life. Each lesson, lecture, job and experience couldn’t have prepared me for this venture, but it certainly gave me the confidence to give it a go and LGS has played a huge part in this.
“Loughborough Schools Foundation (LSF) has also unknowingly played its part in the app’s development, as many of my LSF friends volunteered to help during our testing period, to debug the app and suggest helpful features that have shaped the platform we are now. Looking forward, I’m incredibly excited about the future of Choo Choo and hope to improve its simplicity and raise awareness of the platform for commuters and train travellers across the UK (and hopefully in time, Europe).”
Choo Choo is now available to download in the UK from both the App Store and Google Play Store, bringing a refreshing, hassle-free approach to modern train travel.
Categories: Loughborough Grammar School School News
