When alumnus Alfie Willis (Business Economics, 2024), received a frustrated phone call from his dad in 2022, he didn’t expect it to spark a start-up. Alfie’s dad was complaining about how difficult it was to claim delay compensation for UK train travel. “It almost felt like the train operating companies had designed the process to be as tedious as possible,” Alfie recalls. That moment planted the seed for Choo Choo — a new app that Alfie and his team are launching to make train travel simpler, cheaper, and more transparent.
Choo Choo is a train ticketing app that not only allows users to buy train tickets, but also tells users when they’re eligible for compensation, how much they can claim, and why. The app also includes helpful tools, like showing users the last train of the day for their journey, making it easier to plan evenings and avoid missing the train home.
After launching this month, Choo Choo is now available to download on iOS and Android.
Reflecting on his journey, Alfie credits his time at Exeter with shaping his entrepreneurial mindset. “One module that particularly stood out was The Economics of Financial Crises taught by Gary Abrahams. It really pushed me to think critically,” he says, “and it made me question the status quo, which is exactly what I’m trying to do with Choo Choo: disrupt the train ticketing market to make it simpler, cheaper, and more transparent for customers.”
The journey from concept to launch has been an exciting endeavour. Alfie began by conducting thorough research, diving into the complexities of the National Rail network, and speaking to industry experts. He shares, “One of the biggest challenges has been finding the right team and partners. From software to marketing, it took time to identify collaborators who shared our ambition and believed in the project’s purpose.
“Thankfully, we’ve built a team that really believes in the mission, and it’s a mission that’s easy to rally behind: cheaper, easier train travel.”
What was one standout moment for Alfie? “Downloading the test version of Choo Choo onto my phone for the first time. Seeing it there on my screen was a proper milestone.”
Alfie is quick to encourage fellow Exeter students and recent alumni to pursue their ideas. “If you think you’ve got a great idea, you probably do. If you value it, others will too,” he says. “Start by talking to friends and family, as their feedback can be invaluable. Many of my friends tested the app and suggested features that really improved the platform.”
He also emphasises the importance of research and community, sharing “Speak to people in the industry, find mentors, and look for communities that can support you. The Exeter Entrepreneurs Society is a brilliant place to start.”
Having only graduated last year, Alfie still holds his Exeter memories close. When asked what he misses most about Exeter, Alfie said: “Without a doubt, it’s living next to my friends. We often take for granted how special that time is, being able to see each other daily in lectures, at the gym, at The Vic Inn, or playing sport. Now that we’re all working in different parts of the UK, our weekends together feel even more precious.”
As Choo Choo rolls out across the UK, you can find out more about them on their website and follow along with their journey via @choochootickets on Instagram.
Good luck to Alfie and the team at Choo Choo as they launch this new venture – we wish you all the success and we can’t wait to follow your journey! Recent graduates with a start up idea are always welcome to contact our Student Startups team for support.
We love to hear news from our alumni so do always feel free to reach out via email at alumni@exeter.ac.uk, DM us on socials or tag us in your posts. And if you’re interested in finding out more about what other alumni have got up to since graduating, take a look at our Alumni Profiles website.