Business travellers willing to use less carbon-intensive transport

A new survey has revealed business travellers are willing to choose more eco-friendly travel, rather than relying on cars and planes.

According to Trainline Partner Solutions, 72% of those surveyed said they would like more of their journeys in 2023 to be made via low-carbon transport, such as train.

Additionally, 67% said they were concerned about their climate impact due to how they travelled in 2022.

Champa Magesh, President at Trainline Partner Solutions, said: ‘We’re seeing a societal shift in the increasing importance people place on sustainability, which is naturally crossing over into their working lives.

‘As this survey shows, this means business travellers are increasingly thinking about their carbon footprint, and likewise businesses are examining how travel contributes to their carbon disclosures. The good news is rail provides a natural answer to these challenges, offering a sustainable option to travellers and businesses alike.’

Data also showed that 95% of participants saying they used their car to take a trip which could have been made with an alternative form of transport.

But this isn’t due to a lack of willingness to take low-carbon travel, as 66% said they wanted to travel by train more than they had been able to.

Rail strikes are likely to have had an impact, with several taking place in 2022, as workers were in dispute with bosses over pay. This has led to widespread cancellations, while Avanti and TransPennine Express have been called out for delays and unreliable services.

If action is taken to stabilise rail services, it’s likely train travel will become more popular, with 78% of those surveyed saying that sustainability is an important consideration for them.

Photo by Tomas Anton Escobar