Datalex, the Howth-based company specialising in delivering software to the airline and travel industry, has moved into a new market following the signing of a $1.2 million (#1.24 million) contract with US rail operator, Amtrak, to use Datalex technology. www.amtrak.com will use Datalex's booking system to upgrade its current Internet capacity by making online reservations faster and more reliable for customers.

The increased speed and reliability is expected to make the site more customer-friendly and efficient.

Tickets purchased through the Amtrak website in February represented 4.8 per cent of its total ticket sales, a 123 per cent increase over the previous year.