Maximize Railway Travel: Insights and Tips from BCD

TRAVELER SURVEY: RAIL TRAVEL BY BCD TRAVEL RESEARCH & INTELLIGENCE March 2025 About the survey Respondent profileTravel by rail: OverviewTraveler behavior In this survey, we explore the topic of rail travel for businessand look at traveler behavior, the challenges faced when The results are based on an online survey of 681 businesstravelers in Europe and Asia Pacific who took a train whentraveling for business at least once in the past 12 months. Travel by rail: Overview Type and purpose of tripType and class of rail travelLength oftripand maximumtrip durationTravel by rail in 2025 Type of trip Trip purpose Most business travelers use rail ondomestic routes only. Attending internal company meetings is the most commonreason for traveling by rail: Half of respondents agree. Type and class of rail travel Travelers use traditional rail suppliers more often than their low-cost competitors.Regular and high-speed trains are equally popular.Economy class is utilized more than business. Maximum trip duration Length of trip On average, survey respondents consider five hours to bethe maximum duration for a train journey. Travelers typically spend less than three hours on railjourneys. Travel by rail in 2025 Travelersexpect to take the sameamountoftrips by rail this year as they did last year. Train or plane On routes where bothrail and planeare viableoptions, two-thirds of travelers would choose rail,if the cost and time of travel are similar. Modesoftransportationused Rail combined with othertransportation modes Most travelerscombinerail with other modes oftransportation. Half useair along with rail,and a similar share combine rail travelwith taxi or ride-hailing options. Airport rail service Three quarters of travelers use rail to getto/from the airport, over a quarter doingso frequently. Commuting by rail Nearly half use rail to commute totheir work locations. One-fifth do so Traveler behavior Reasons to travel by railBookingand payingfor railLoyalty programs and discount cards Reasons to travel by rail Travelers prefer rail because of the central location of train stations, convenience, and the ability to work while on the road. Paying for rail Booking rail Six out of 10 book rail tickets on supplier websites, while athird use the employer’s online booking tool. Corporate credit card is the most popular payment methodfollowed by personal card. Loyalty programs and discount cards Less than a quarter of travelers using rail participate in loyalty programs.A similar share have a rail discount card available in some markets. Environmental considerations Two travelers out of five never or rarelytake into accountenvironmental considerations when making a choice between Time on-board Amenitiesused Since most business travelers work on a train, power outletsand Wi-Fi are the top-two amenities utilized by many. When traveling by train, over eight business travelers out of 10work on-board and around half use this time to rest. Rail policies and suppliers Employer’s rail policyCorporate rates and discounts Satisfactionwith rail policy Half of travelers are “extremely” or “somewhat” satisfied with their company’s rail policy. Employer’s rail policy According to a third of respondents, their employer’s policy encouragesthem to travel by train. Six out of10have no policy that would either Half of travelers are allowed to use business class on trains,at least on some occasions. One out of seven say their employer offers corporaterates for rail tickets. Travelerchallengeswithrail policies Almost a thirdreportno challenges related to their corporate rail policies. Lack of clear rail policy, as well as inconvenient booking orpayment are among the issues frequently shared by the rest. Satisfactionwith rail suppliers While over half of travelers are happy with the rail companies they use, nearly a quarter report low satisfaction levels. Traveler challengeswithrail suppliers Poor reliability, overcrowding, as well as limitedconnectivity and high prices are frequently mentioned Limited parking space at train stationsLack of amenitiesHigh ticket priceLimited connectivityOvercrowdingPoor reliability due to delays or strikes Friction Three quarters of the respondents have experienced delays and half facedcancellations.These are the top-two disruptive situations mentioned by business travelers. How BCD Travel can help We understand the power of flexible and efficient business travel and are committed to offering a fullyintegrated rail booking option in TripSource, our trip management andself-servicebooking solution. We’re expanding our regional presence and continue to add more carriers, giving travelers greater flexibilityto book their trips their way. WithTripSource,rail travelers have the following options: Natalia TretyakevichSenior Manager, Research & IntelligenceSpain We have carefully researched and checked the information contained. However, we do not accept anyli