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Work trips are laying the track for future of UK train travel

5 MIN READ

  • Wi-Fi woes top productivity challenge, with 55% citing poor connections on trains
  • 63% of UK business travellers choose train for domestic work trips, second only to driving
  • 45% of companies now incentivise employees to choose sustainable travel options
  • The trend towards train travel extends beyond domestic routes with data showing London-Paris as a popular cross-border route
London, 29 October 2024 - Leading global business travel management platform, Perk (formerly TravelPerk) , today revealed new insights into the rising trend of domestic train travel for business in the UK. The research highlights both the growing preference for rail transport among business travellers and the challenges that still need to be addressed to fully realise its potential.
These insights are based on proprietary booking data from Perk's platform and a survey of 1,000 UK business travellers conducted in partnership with OnePoll in September 2024.
The survey reveals that nearly two-thirds (63%) of UK business travellers typically choose train travel for domestic business trips, making it the second most popular mode of transport after driving (74%), and more than twice as popular than flights (27%). This preference for rail is further supported by Perk's booking data, which shows that in 2024 93% of domestic business trips within the UK were made by train, compared to 7% by air – a significant increase from the 2019 numbers (79% by train and 21% by air).
“As businesses continue to balance productivity, sustainability and cost-effectiveness in their travel policies, the role of domestic and short-haul international train travel is set to grow,” said Kristina Geier, VP of Supplier Relations at Perk. “The data shows that business travelers are increasingly turning to trains for domestic travel. At Perk we provide a choice of different options to support our clients travel preferences.”
The research also uncovered significant hurdles affecting work productivity during train journeys. Poor Wi-Fi connections emerged as the top complaint, with 55% of respondents citing it as a major challenge. This was followed by excessive noise (46%), lack of privacy (41%), and lack of available seats (38%). Despite these challenges, nearly one third (30%) of respondents agreed that train travel improves work productivity due to the extended time in one place.
Cost is also a concern, with 25% of UK respondents saying that train travel costs more than flying, and some train prices increasing significantly – for instance, according to Perk data, the average train ticket from London to Manchester has increased by nearly 40% since 2019. However, new features are already helping to address this challenge. Earlier this year Perk introduced its split ticketing feature which has demonstrated significant cost savings for businesses. Travellers using this feature have saved an average of nearly 22% on their fare costs, with total savings exceeding €33,500 across all users*.
The study also highlighted a growing corporate commitment to sustainable travel. 45% of UK companies now offer incentives for employees to choose more environmentally friendly travel options. Among the preferred incentives, 47% of business travellers said they would be most motivated by monetary incentives or gift cards, while 22% favoured points redeemable for travel upgrades.
The trend towards train travel extends beyond domestic routes. Perk booking data shows that, on popular cross-border routes such as London-Paris (95% of journeys booked in 2024 were for trains vs. just 5% for flights), train travel has consistently outperformed air travel in terms of passenger share. This suggests that when efficient rail options are available, business travellers are increasingly likely to choose them over flying.
Notes to the Editor
*This analysis is based on the results of 538 business travellers who have used this feature.
Methodology:
Perk analysed proprietary booking data from its own platform, examining travel behaviour amongst companies for the full calendar years of 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 to date. The data extracted compares the same cohort of long-term Perk customers who have been with the company since 2019. Additionally, in partnership with market research agency OnePoll, Perk surveyed 1,000 business travellers in the United Kingdom. The survey was conducted in September 2024.
About Perk:
Perk is a hyper-growth SaaS business travel platform and a pioneer in the future of business travel. Its all-in-one platform gives travellers the freedom they want whilst providing companies with the control they need. The result saves time, money and hassle for everyone.
Perk has industry-leading travel inventory alongside powerful management features, 24/7 customer support, state-of-the-art technology and consumer-grade design, all of which enable companies and organisations worldwide like Red Bull, GetYourGuide and Aesop to get the most out of their travel.Backed by world-class investors like SoftBank Investment Advisers, General Catalyst, Kinnevik, Greyhound Capital, Felix Capital, Target Global, LocalGlobe, Spark Capital, and Heartcore — investors in some of the most disruptive companies in tech, including Airbnb, Uber, Slack, X (Twitter), Trello, Zalando and Delivery Hero — Perk is reinventing business travel with an end-to-end solution that works. Visit www.travelperk.com for more information.