Encouraging more travellers to choose rail should be a “national mission” that harnesses the collective power, skill and innovation within the industry.
That’s the primary message from a new White Paper commissioned by Trainline and published on February 21 as part of the I Came by Train campaign, launched last year to encourage more people to make sustainable travel choices and pledge to swap their journeys to rail.
“Sustainability can be rail’s secret weapon for creating growth,” said Trainline CEO Jody Ford.
“But to inspire travellers to choose rail, we must appeal to both their hearts and their heads. Creating a mass movement from car and air to rail should be a national mission, and that mission will succeed best through a coalition of activity that harnesses our collective power, skill and innovation.
“Trainline is passionate about sustainability, but collectively we all have work to do to address the public’s general lack of awareness about the green benefits of travelling by train.
“We want to work with the Government, the wider rail industry and the tech sector to address this gap in understanding, and to help make rail famous for being green.”
Reasonable by Rail, which analysed 250,000 journeys, shows that 75% of journeys are cheaper or faster using rail if tickets are booked in advance, and 64% would be cheaper still if a railcard is used.
Read this article in full in RAIL issue 978 here
To read all our magazine articles, choose from either a Digital Edition Membership from just 99p for your first month, or a Print & Digital Edition package from just £9.50 per month. Choose your Membership here
Comment as guest
Comments
Güntürk Üstün - 07/03/2023 23:14
The competent Trainline is Europe’s leading train and coach app. Its aim is to bring together all rail, coach and other travel services into one simple experience so people can get the best prices and smart, real-time travel info on the go. The four core values that are at the spirit of everything Trainline does are: Think Big, Own It, Do Good and Travel Together. Keep it up your great work, rail folks! Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Reply as guest
D - 08/03/2023 22:29
From my experience of the app thus far, I would not agree with your assertion of "competent". For example, trying to get any kind of refund or delay compensation is a nuisance - far easier to go to the train companies directly.
Reply as guest
Güntürk Üstün - 08/03/2023 23:30
In course of time, making rail travel inspirational, creating the notion of “train bragging”, and highlighting key routes where train travel can be faster or cheaper than cars or planes would support travelers to be more sustainable. Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Reply as guest
G Stack - 09/03/2023 08:15
I've ditched rail for the car. My car doesn't let me down constantly. My car is cheaper to run. I don't have to stand amongst loads of coughing and spluttering people in my car. The trains are disgustingly unreliable, and we all know train companies cancel services to avoid fines for being late, without a second thought for the passengers standing on the platforms wanting to get home or needing to get to work. Trains are unsafe, there's lots of ASB and crime on them in Birmingham for example. The BTP are useless, as with everything they only focus on London. You will not make rail a viable alternative until it's nationalised and not for profit, and you don't have one part of the network fining other parts of the network for delays which lead to cancellations.
Reply as guest
hugo - 31/03/2023 13:06
More people will choose rail if the prices are reduced. Like 50% off for the next 18 months. Ticketing needs reforming properly. Then more people will choose rail.
Reply as guest