Travellers prefer rail over other modes of transportation because of the central location of train stations, convenience and the ability to work while travelling, according to a new survey by BCD Travel. The agency surveyed 681 business travellers in Europe and Asia Pacific who took a train when travelling for business at least once in the past 12 months. The survey looked at traveller behaviour, the challenges faced when travelling by rail, and satisfaction with rail policy and suppliers.
The survey results show six in 10 travellers expect to take the same number of trips by rail this year as they did last year, with 18% expecting to take more. A third of respondents say their employer’s policy encourages them to travel by train instead of plane for short distances (6% of employers actually enforce rail travel).
“Enforcing rail bookings in place of short-haul flights can help lower travel emissions. However, travellers must be aware of such policy changes in order to make an impact, which is why communicating with your travellers is so important,” said Olivia Ruggles-Brise, vice-president of sustainability at BCD.
Convenience rather than sustainability appears to be king, however, with the top three factors behind why travellers prefer rail over other modes of transportation, according to the survey, being: easy accessibility of railway stations (49%), convenience (46%) and the ability to work while travelling (41%). Environmental considerations rank fourth, with 31% saying they take the train because it’s more sustainable.
The survey also found that more than half of business travellers book rail directly through rail providers’ websites, while only a third use their company’s online booking tool (OBT). BCD continues to invest in its proprietary booking and trip management platform TripSource and hopes to close that gap.
Other statistics from the BCD survey include over half of business travellers saying they pay for rail service through their company’s corporate credit cards (six out of 10). A third pay by personal cards and get reimbursed.
When travelling by train, nearly seven in 10 tend to use Wi-Fi and power outlets and cite these two amenities as important. In fact, over eight business travellers out of 10 say work on-board and they report rarely using entertainment amenities. One in seven say their employer offers corporate rates for rail tickets and half say they are allowed to use Business Class on trains.
There is room for improvement in rail services providers with a quarter reporting low satisfaction levels. The main challenges encountered include poor reliability due to delays or strikes (50%), overcrowding (43%), limited connectivity (33%) and high prices (30%). Three-quarters of the respondents have experienced delays and half have faced cancellations.
“While rail remains a preferred mode of travel for many business travellers, ongoing challenges like reliability, overcrowding, and limited connectivity continue to impact satisfaction,” said Yannis Karmis, SVP of Product & Development at BCD. “Our goal is to empower travellers with more resilient, connected, and comfortable rail journeys that align with both business needs and sustainability objectives.”
To view the full rail survey report, click here.
