Rail travel is becoming more popular with business Travelers for an array of reasons. However, rail travel booking comes with its challenges for Travel Managers.
Rail travel comes with a plethora of benefits, whether you’re traveling for business or leisure. As such, it’s no wonder that it’s becoming a more popular option, particularly over the last three to four years.
According to the publication Railway Technology, post-Covid pandemic, 60% of business Travelers said they would consider using rail rather than their preferred mode of travel in pre-pandemic times. They gave reasons such as speed and environmental concerns. To the latter point, train emissions amount to just 5% of car and plane emissions, according to the same article. Thus, rail is becoming increasingly popular with organizations looking to manage their business travel carbon footprint better.
Cost is also a consideration boosting rail travel’s popularity. According to a study conducted by German international broadcaster DW, air travel throughout Europe is sometimes more affordable than rail travel. However, that’s not always the case. The study found that it wasn’t when looking at routes between Zurich and Milan, Berlin and Warsaw, and Munich and Budapest.
DW also noted that while air travel is often considered faster than rail travel, looking at flight times does not allow for a just comparison. A flight will often deposit a Traveler miles outside the city center. As such, flying requires additional travel time, as well as additional costs.
Rail travel is the more sustainable, often more affordable, and usually faster option provides many benefits to business Travelers and Travel Managers alike. That said, though, rail travel is not without its faults. When it comes to rail travel booking, in particular, this mode of travel can cause Travel Managers a fair number of headaches.
Rail Travel Booking Challenges
1. More rail travel booking will require changes to travel management systems and travel policies.
According to one BTN Europe article, a major hurdle to Travel Managers booking more rail travel is the simple fact that their existing travel management systems do not prioritize rail travel. Instead, air travel and car rentals take center stage.
In these instances, Travelers may need to book outside the existing, policy-compliant booking system. While this may result in the various benefits of rail travel (cost savings, time saved, lesser environmental impact, etc.), it also can lead to duty-of-care issues. The booking information will not be readily and immediately available within the travel management system. It may require that Travelers expense the cost. It may require additional time and effort on both the Travelers and Travel Managers’ parts. Then, there’s the simple fact that the booking could just be non-compliant.
If Travel Managers want to make rail travel easier for their Travelers, they need to adjust their booking systems and policies accordingly. This is a challenge that is easier said than done.
2. Booking international rail travel can be tricky.
As Euractiv reported, booking a single ticket for business Travelers who want to cross international borders via rail can be complicated. Luckily, a solution is in sight. The publication noted that new European regulation is underway. It would allow business Travelers to book a single ticket for multi-leg, multi-operator journeys, with the goal of encouraging greater rail travel overall.
3. Rail travel can be unreliable.
There is one glaring issue with rail travel that can dissuade Travel Managers from booking rail travel at all, despite all its benefits. That issue is, of course, reliability. According to the same Euractiv article linked above, in 2024, fewer than two-thirds of Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance trains arrived on time.
Beyond poor arrival time records, rail strikes also significantly hinder the reliability of rail travel. That can add up to unfortunate costs for business travel budgets. Not only does this disruption in service waste Travelers’ time and productivity, but then are also forced to find another mode of transportation, which can further increase travel costs.
4. It’s not always easy to see the benefits of rail travel.
For those Travelers who aren’t familiar with rail travel, understanding the benefits of this mode of transportation isn’t always straightforward. While they might understand that rail travel is more sustainable and may, in some instances, be more affordable, what are the implications for the Traveler rather than the organization?
As reported by The Business Travel Magazine, rail providers are doing their best to promote Traveler-specific benefits. However, Travel Managers may also need to communicate these benefits.
For example, South Western Railway introduced new corporate fares and business booking tools that allow users to track their Co2 footprint. Great Western Railway has likewise introduced new ticketing options that allow for B2B direct booking and more flexible travel. It also offers better first-class experiences that provide the amenities that business Travelers need for peak productivity. Similar efforts have been made at Avanti and Grand Central Rail.
Can Rail Travel Overcome its Booking Hurdles?
There are plenty of hurdles preventing rail travel from growing to any large degree in the current business Travel landscape. However, those hurdles are not insurmountable. As TMCs and travel providers continue to adjust and evolve their offerings to better serve today’s business Travelers and their organizational needs, we can expect many of these obstacles to be removed.
