For the first time, beginning this fall, Expedia will offer bookings on rail travel to customers in the United Kingdom. The company received support from the Association of Operating Companies and the Rail Delivery Group  to do so. The offerings will be available on Expedia.co.uk and will mark the first time a global, full-service online travel agency offered a rail component in addition to other products. In its announcement, Expedia pointed out rail is the fastest growing sector in travel, representing a $130 billion market. But it saw an opportunity given that 64 percent of rail bookings are made offline. “Rail presents an extraordinary opportunity for the business in attracting new customers, growing the frequency of site visits, and offering a new transportation option with existing travel purchases,” said Greg Schulze senior vice president of commercial strategy and services, Expedia Group in a statement. “Adding rail will allow travelers to create new types of package holidays, such as combining train travel with a hotel stay, a car hire, or other things to do at their destination.” “We’ve learned quickly that adding rail to our business is not as easy as copy-pasting our existing booking models,” he added. “Rail is a unique platform and our partners have been great in ensuring a seamless entrance into the market and delivering high customer value as well.” Expedia said it plans to expand rail travel bookings to other parts of the world in the future.