Weekend exclusive: Rail sees popularity boost as City travellers avoid ‘travel dead time’
Rail is experiencing a boost in popularity among City and business travellers seeking to avoid so-called ‘travel dead time’.
Trainline told City PM in an exclusive interview this evening that more than eight in ten of business travellers in the UK indicated that maintaining productivity is a major consideration.
A further 44 per cent said that the ability to stay productive in-transit has become more important since the pandemic and widespread introduction of hybrid, more flexible work patterns.
According to Trainline Partner Solutions, half of all respondents reported that rail makes it easier to stay productive than air or road travel.
Of this group, 80 per cent agreed that rail travel will become a more attractive proposition for business travel over the next 12 months.
Productivity advantages
The top benefits of rail travel compared to air or road were deemed to be more reliable access to WiFi and mobile connectivity, chosen by just over half, a more comfortable physical environment for work (50 per cent), a quieter and calmer experience (48 per cent) and less waiting around (46 per cent).
Trainline Partner Solutions president Champa Magesh told City PM this evening that “the pandemic has irreversibly changed approaches to work, with people increasingly prioritising staying productive wherever they are and wherever they need to go.”
“While sustainability factors will always be central to the growing shift to rail, the push to eliminate ‘travel dead time’ is clearly impacting transport choices too.”
Trainline Partner Solutions president Champa Magesh
“Not only does rail help business travellers stay connected and better able to manage their work-life balance, but it also encourages more sustainable, greener travel choices,” Magesh continued.
Employer disconnect
There is, however, potential tension between what employees want and what their employers offer.
Despite the 79 per cent of business travellers feeling their employers should promote alternative travel options to short-haul air travel and private road travel, close to half (45 per cent) reported that their companies could do more to promote rail options.
“It’s now up to employers – and their travel partners – to cater for this demand and support their staff to travel how they want to,” stressed Magesh.
International business travel
The study also showed that rail is increasingly regarded as a viable option for international as well as domestic business travel.
As many as 64 per cent said they would now consider rail for international travel, with one-third have already travelled to mainland Europe by rail in the last 12 months for business.
This figure almost doubles for employees aged 18-24 years, indicating business rail could be becoming especially popular with a younger demographic.