41-42 INDUSTRY rail v2 2/12/08 19:09 Page 42
42 industry report – rail
L50480 admired for flying short-haul. But attitudes are
What percentage of your overall business travel
changing and now they are increasingly pitied.”
bookings is made up of rail journeys?
Montague says rail’s success this year is also down to
an increasing appreciation from corporate travellers ■ Less than 10%
towards the benefits of working onboard and the 5% ■ 11-25%
proximity of stations in city centres. 44% ■ 26-50%
He said: “It appeals to the business traveller because ■ 51%+
it saves time and limits disruption.”
Several years ago a campaign by train operating
companies was launched to promote the “working time”
16%
concept on the train. They are now cashing in on their
efforts by offering better lounge facilities and Wi-Fi.
Consultants say the main reason for the increase in
35%
rail travellers is down to better booking facilities (6:4).
Raj Sachdave is Capita Business Travel’s strategic
business development managing and the driving force
behind his company’s rail booking tool – RailOoto. His
business has seen a “huge jump” in rail account queries cut more costs.
and potential sale bids this year. When oil prices reached more than $140 a barrel this
“Our technology has helped drive our market share year flying became prohibitively expensive for some
and growth due to market conditions and expectations. business. Consequently a new group of train travellers
Our new and existing client base has embraced the were born.
world of rail. More corporates are now waking up to Capita’s Sachdave said travellers driven away from
the benefits of domestic rail travel,” he said. airlines onto trains have recognised the significance of
Some 44% of our respondents say rail still only “off-peak fares”.
accounts for up to a tenth of their overall business (6:2). “The quota rational – following the airline model – of
More than 5% say it makes up more than half, while for two singles is cheaper than a return is now a standard
just over half it makes up between 11% and 50%. thought process with all travellers,” he said.
But the ease with which consultants can book rail Faster journey times have also helped boost
tickets is not longer in doubt – 86% say it is an easy passenger numbers on the train tracks. Some 20% of
process (6:5). WHEN OIL respondents say it’s the main reason bookings increased
Only 11% of respondents use the traditional global
PRICES
this year (6:4). The UK network has benefitted from a
distribution system to book rail tickets. Most (65%) use
Evolvi, while 10% use
thetrainline.com and 8% go
REACHED MORE
number of upgrade projects in the last year, all of which
caused disruption to timetables. But Virgin Trains £8
direct to the train operators’ websites (6:6).
THAN $140 A
billion upgrade works on the west coast line – which
Adrian Watts, director of sales and distribution at
BARREL THIS
have often obliterated weekend services – should be
thetrainline.com, said: “The data gathered in this survey
YEAR A NEW
complete by early next year creating a more attractive
is in line with recent trends. We're seeing businesses
turn to train travel to make savings that can be
GROUP OF
domestic travel option.
Scores of businessmen and women have also been
achieved on the modern booking facilities available.”
TRAIN
attracted by the trains’ green credentials; with 28%
Watts predicts there will be a further increase in
TRAVELLERS
saying clients take the train to be kinder to the
corporate train travel next year as companies try and
WERE BORN
environment. L52159
The top-three reasons for booking rail
BETTER BOOKING MORE CLIENTS CHOOSING FASTER
FACILITIES ‘GREENER’ OPTION JOURNEY TIMES
30% 28% 20%
ttgbusiness.com ❖ industry report 2008
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