Qjump Limited, the online rail ticket provider from National Express Group, has formed a strategic partnership with Multimap which will allow the internet mapping site to increase the range and variety of its complementary services. The partnership provides Qjump Limited with an additional window to reach consumers and demonstrates the company's skill in adding value to leading UK brands, while Multimap benefits from the recognised rail industry expertise of Qjump to provide consumer confidence in the ticket purchase facility.

Multimap, one of the UK's 10 most visited websites, is the leading UK provider of Internet mapping services for consumers and businesses. The partnership with Qjump means Multimap will now offer visitors to the site the opportunity to purchase rail tickets through a dual branded online facility.

Qjump's online train ticketing facility is an ideal addition to the comprehensive service provided by Multimap. The facility allows visitors to access timetable information as well as purchase tickets. The icon for the Qjump site is strategically positioned alongside route finders, maps and other online booking facilities which take the visitor straight into the Qjump consumer site. The service enables consumers to access multifunctional information and plan several elements of a trip without the need to search for and enter in several different website addresses.

Jeff Kelisky, Chief Operating Officer at Multimap comments "Multimap is very pleased to partner with Qjump; they offer the most user-friendly and efficient train ticket booking service we've seen on the web". Powered by data from the Rail Journey Information System (RJIS), the Qjump site offers up to date rail information and on-line ticket purchasing facilities to the internet user, allowing them to search by cheapest journey or quickest route - without the need for upfront registration. Facilities on the site include on-line booking up to 24 hours before time of travel, seat reservations, customer service, internet helpdesk and a dedicated business travel service. Tickets can be posted out or collected at over 100 stations nationwide and a customer service helpline is available 24 hours per day.

"This is great news for the traveller" comments Mark Powles, Managing Director of Qjump Limited. "Our partnership with Multimap combines 'location' with 'travel' to provide a level of online service that really is second to none. We are delighted to be working with Multimap, they are experts in their field and share Qjump's passion for service and convenience, however, the real winner is the on-line traveller."

Launched in January this year Qjump Limited is rapidly becoming a leader in the online rail-ticketing arena. The company has already secured several major partnerships, including online travel provider Expedia, and received over 500,000 unique visitors to its consumer website, Qjump.co.uk during the first six months of operation. The partnership with Multimap is a classic example of how Qjump can add value to it's partners' product offering.

Notes to Editors

National Express Group is a leading international passenger transport company operating nine train operating companies within the UK (Central Trains, c2c, Gatwick Express, Midland Mainline, ScotRail, Silverlink, WAGN, (including Stansted Express) Wales & Borders and Valley Lines) as well as Wessex Trains, Stansted Express, buses and coaches. In addition, it has overseas operations in the US where it is the third largest provider of student yellow buses operating across 20 states. It also operates trains, trams and buses in Australia.

Screen visuals for Qjump.co.uk can be downloaded from www.brahm.com/pressoffice

About Multimap.com
Multimap.com is the UK's most popular mapping website, offering a range of free, useful services to assist with everyday life. Key features include street-level maps of Europe with links to local information, overview maps of the world, door-to-door Travel Directions, aerial and historical photographs, links with the map of the London Underground network and weather forecasts. Multimap.com's WAP site: http://wap.multimap.com/ gives WAP phone users easy access to its text-based travel directions and store finder services, with accompanying maps for users of larger screen WAP phones. Multimap.com attracts over 3.5 million unique users every month and is one of the top 10 most visited websites in the UK.

Multimap.com is also the most significant provider of online mapping services to businesses and offers a range of fully customisable maps, travel directions and Geo-spatial ('where's my nearest?') searches across web, WAP, PDA, iTV and kiosk platforms.