The desire to reduce the carbon impact of trips, evident before the pandemic, is increasing, according to a report.
Research from Trainline Partner Solutions reveals almost 60% of business travelers are more likely to consider rail versus before the pandemic when it was only 20%.
While it’s no revelation that many travelers want to take the train, it’s more that the consideration seems to be increasing.
The research goes on to say that where journeys take a similar time, 90% of U.K. employees would prefer to take the train.
Travelers say they are put off flying currently because of COVID health and safety, 41%, while 27% say the environmental impact.
Subscribe to our newsletter below
A quarter of respondents also said they would be less likely to use the car for business trips once they knew the carbon impact compared with rail.
Trainline also says 59% of employees would avoid driving and short-haul flights within Europe if journey times were similar by train.
It adds that 81% would support a ban on short business flights where a train option was available.
The conditions of government bailouts of Air France and KLM Airlines last year included reducing emissions by encouraging rail travel.
And, in April the French Government banned short-haul internal flights where the journey can be made by rail in no more than two-and-a-half hours.
Champa Magesh, president of Trainline Partner Solutions, says: “When business travel returns, it will not look the same as before the pandemic. One clear long-term trend is employees planning to reduce the impact their travel has on carbon emissions and reduce road travel and short haul flights.
The past 15 months have revealed a greater awareness from consumers generally of how brands respond to social and environmental issues.
Questions remain over whether this awareness will translate to actual behavior.