According to a recent BCD Travel survey, travellers prefer rail travel over other modes of transport because of the central location of train stations, convenience and ability to work while travelling.
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.
BCD Travel 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, challenges faced when travelling by rail and satisfaction with rail policy and suppliers.
Other findings include:
Policy
According to a third of respondents, their employer’s policy encourages them to travel by train instead of plane for short distances (whereas 6% of employers enforce rail travel). Six out of 10 have no policy that would either enforce or encourage rail travel or are not aware of one.
Decision making
The top three factors why travellers prefer rail over other modes of transportation include easy accessibility of railway stations (49%), convenience (46%) and the ability to work while travelling (41%). Environmental considerations rank fourth – 31% take the train because it’s more sustainable.
Booking
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). Ease of booking is prevalent. Over half of business travellers pay for rail services through their company’s corporate credit cards. A third pay by personal cards and get reimbursed.
Behaviour
When travelling by train, nearly seven in 10 tend to use Wi-Fi and power outlets and cite these amenities as important. Over eight business travellers out of 10 work onboard and around half use the time to rest. Four out of 10 read, few travellers spend time watching movies and business travellers rarely use entertainment amenities.
Satisfaction with company rail policies
Half of travellers are somewhat or extremely satisfied with their company’s rail policy. One in seven say their employer offers corporate rates for rail tickets. Half are allowed to use Business Class on trains, at least on some occasions.
Three in 10 don’t encounter any challenges when it comes to rail policies. For those who do, the lack of clear policy, inconvenient booking and payment are among the challenges.
Rail supplier challenges
While over half of respondents are satisfied with the rail companies they use, nearly a quarter report low satisfaction levels. The main challenges include poor reliability due to delays or strikes (50%), overcrowding (43%), limited connectivity (33%) and high prices (30%). Three quarters of respondents have experienced delays and half have faced cancellations.
BCD offers a fully integrated rail booking option in TripSource. By expanding its regional presence and adding more carriers, it gives business travellers greater flexibility to book their own trips.
Yannis Karmis, SVP of Product & Development, said: “While rail remains a preferred mode of travel for many business travellers, ongoing challenges like reliability, overcrowding and limited connectivity continue to impact satisfaction.
“At BCD, we’re focused on working closely with rail suppliers and technology partners to improve the traveller experience – from streamlining booking options to ensuring better visibility into disruptions.”
