Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), will today (27 April) outline the rail industry’s claim to be focused on delivering improvements for passengers in a speech at the Institute of Travel Management (ITM) conference.

Referring to new research into business travel and sustainability, she will explain how the organisation is working towards the Green Travel Pledge, a rail industry initiative that aims to “develop and provide granular industry data to help inform journey choice, influence travel decisions and enable robust reporting”.

After speaking to businesses and consumers during the research, she will say that businesses are aware of the greenest option for travel but are still not prioritising it. However, the research shows they do want to be able to make green choices and want an easy way to compare carbon emissions of the various modes of transport.

Research with the business travel community shows that:

• only 2 in 5 (40%) businesses factor in sustainability when planning business travel
• a slightly higher proportion  (42%) know what the green choice is
• travelling by car for business is still the most popular choice  at 44%; less than 3 in 10 businesses (just 28%) report that train is the most popular
• over 4 in 5 (82%) of respondents said that having an accurate way to compare carbon emissions between different modes of travel would benefit them.

Starr will also say consumers planning a trip do consider the environmental impact of their journey. Over half (54%) of people surveyed said if they were planning a trip for leisure, the environmental impact of their travel would be important to them when making their decision.

The research from consumers shows that:

• nearly half (47%) of respondents said the primary reason they travel via rail is for leisure or business purposes
• just over 3 in 5 (61%) of those surveyed are likely to choose one option over another based on their efforts to make their business travel more environmentally sustainable
• over a quarter (27%) of respondents said that travelling by car (petrol/diesel) makes them feel guilty in relation to their carbon footprint, and more than 3 in 10 (32%) said that travelling via plane makes them feel guilty
• 3 in 10 (30%) surveyed said travelling via train makes them feel proud in relation to their carbon footprint.

Previous research carried out by the RDG also noted the need to change the mindset of business passengers who have previously favoured air travel due to the supposed quickness, although the research said many air travellers do not enjoy the airport experience.

While rail journey times may be longer, the overall length of the trip is likely to be quicker than driving or flying , which allows the traveller to be more productive. The research looked at the perception and mindset of the business travel sector, and companies noted travellers took pride in choosing rail for its green credentials.