London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Soros Bags Fortune Bidding Against UK Ticket Company as London Announces Railway Overhaul

Soros Bags Fortune Bidding Against UK Ticket Company as London Announces Railway Overhaul

The major reform of the UK's railways will unify many of the auxiliary services, such as setting fares, selling tickets and maintaining infrastructure, under the wing of one state company called Great British Railways.

The plunge in share price of the UK's largest railway ticket-seller, Trainline, has netted huge profits for SFM UK Management LLP – the British arm of George Soros' Fund Management - which opened a short position against the company's shares just before their drastic fall of 23 percent on 20 May which had been preceded by another fall of 32 percent.

The shares plummeted on news that Trainline might be stripped of its 70 percent share of the online market after it was announced that the British railways are to be overhauled.

The Soros Fund's British arm shorted around 0.7 percent of the ticket-seller's shares, meaning that it borrowed them to sell at a greater price and then bought them back when the price dropped, netting the difference as a profit. Essentially a short position means that an investor is betting on a company's shares falling.

Since it was such a dramatic fall, SFM UK Management LLP was bound to make a fortune from its bid, which surfaced in the Financial Conduct Authority’s public disclosure. However, there is no telling how much exactly the financier's institution earned from this transaction: it is unclear what the average selling price was when SFM opened its position and whether SFM has closed it already.

The drop in Trainline's prices itself was no surprise, according to Russ Mould, investment director at British digital stockbroker AJ Bell, in a comment for CNBC. He explained that London's decision to unify all the railway-related services - except for the trains, which remain private - was a major blow to businesses such as Trainline, which accounts for 70 percent of online railway tickets sales.

When there are limited barriers to entry for a business there are always risks as rail ticket-seller Trainline is discovering that to its cost today, lending credence to financier George Soros’ decision to short the stock through his UK investment arm," Mould said.

Trainline was steadily growing until 2020, when coronavirus severely hit all transportation companies. The firm's revenue tanked by more than 70 percent as the lockdown came into effect across the UK and people feared travelling on public transport because of the risk of catching COVID-19.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×