Booking data released by TravelPerk this week indicates a big shift from air to rail by business travellers on domestic routes in the UK.
Its latest data shows 93% of domestic business trips within the UK were made by train in 2024, compared to 7% by air.
This is a significant rise from the 2019 figures of 79% by train and 21% by air.
Rail travel on cross-border routes is also on the rise, according to TravelPerk’s figures.
Data shows 95% of London-Paris journeys were by rail, compared with 5% by air. In 2019, these figures were 91% and 9% respectively.
A separate TravelPerk survey of 1,000 UK business travellers, conducted in partnership with OnePoll in September 2024, showed more companies are incentivising their employees to use more sustainable modes of transport.
It found 45% of UK companies are using incentives to encourage their staff to choose more environmentally-friendly options and that business travellers would be motivated by monetary incentives or gift cards (47%) and points redeemable for travel upgrades (22%).
TravelPerk’s survey also highlighted some of the hurdles affecting work productivity during train journeys.
These include poor Wi-Fi connection (55%), excessive noise (46%), lack of privacy (41%) and lack of available seats (38%).
Despite these challenges, 30% of respondents agreed that train travel improves work productivity due to the extended time in one place.
However, 25% said the cost of rail was a barrier, with 25% citing train travel as more expensive than flying.
Kristina Geier, VP of Supplier Relations at TravelPerk, said: “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.
“The data shows that business travellers are increasingly turning to trains for domestic travel.”
