Trains are becoming mobile offices: what new Amex GBT research reveals
More and more business travellers are turning trains into mobile offices, new research by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) shows.
According to a survey of 3,000 business travellers from France, Germany and the United Kingdom, as many as 92% of respondents like to work while travelling by train, and 41% say they get through more than half of their work during the journey.
Besides productivity, passengers also choose the train for its comfort (43%), sustainability (39%) and for the time to think and plan (39%).
Passengers confirm that today's trains offer basic working conditions: 68% are satisfied with the availability of power sockets, and 64% with the workspace. However, there is room for improvement — most want better Wi-Fi (34%), a more reliable mobile signal (25%) and quiet zones for focused work (25%).
Particularly in the UK, passengers see the potential in modernising rail infrastructure. More than 60 per cent say that new high-speed trains like HS2 would encourage them to travel by train more often for business trips. Interestingly, 57 per cent of British passengers believe that travelling by train abroad is better than at home — citing faster lines and more comfortable carriages as the main differences.
The research also reveals weaknesses: only 51 per cent of passengers say they always have reliable information on delays and platforms. International rail bookings are also rated as more complex than booking airline tickets or hiring a car.
Jason Geall from Amex GBT highlights that trains are key to sustainable and efficient business travel: „Companies get more productive employees while supporting green objectives. That's why we are developing innovations in the rail segment to enhance booking and travel experiences.“
