ways2work > How to do it > Re-thinking commuting > What we could do differently > Commuting by rail
Commuting by rail
Whilst only 4% of UK employees currently commute by rail, 44% of rail journey are by commuters. 16% are business travellers and 40% are leisure passengers.
Two key things could encourage more people to consider commuting by train, should this be a viable option for them:
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Flexible hours to take advantage of lower cost off lower off peak fairs and avoid the rush hour
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Interest free loans for season tickets of up to £5,000
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Trains are becoming increasingly popular for both commuting and business travel. Investment by train companies is resulting in improved reliability and comfort – plus an ability for the commuter and business traveller to work on the move through technological advances.
This rise in passenger numbers has led to a vast amount of work being undertaken to improve services and access to rail stations both of which are vitally important for rail commuters. Businesses and commuters may not be aware of the positive changes that have been taking place and should you with to know more then please contact your local station – details can be found here:
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Car Parking: Franchises let by DfT in the last few years have included requirements to increase car parking by thousands of spaces, while many local authorities provide additional car park spaces too
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Bus – Rail Integration: Many stations now have improved bus access to station forecourts, while PLUSBUS, the national bus-rail ticket which cuts the costs of bus tickets to and from rail stations, has seen sales grow by over 100% in the last three years, selling 250,000 tickets in FY 2008-9
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Cycle Facilities: With a lack of capacity for bicycles at peak times, Train Operating Companies and local authorities are working in partnership to provide better cycle parking provision at hundreds of stations across the country
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Pedestrian routes: Many local authorities have undertaken regeneration work around stations to improve pedestrian access (and often cut walking times by repositioning walk ways)
Commuting by rail and cycling
Many commuters travel with their folding bikes or leave their bike at the station (sometime having a bike at both ends of their journey), thus building in some exercise to their commute. Taking bikes on trains is possible if they are folding bikes however at peak commuting times it is not possible to take a non-folding bike on a train. Further information is available from National Rail’s Cycling by Train pages.
If you are interested in a folding bike to take on the train, a good site for information on the variety and pros and cons of these can be found on the British Cycling website.
Taking your car to the station
Car parks are available at most stations and car park season tickets can be purchased by commuters. If you don’t have a season ticket, there may be restrictions associated with parking so it is best to check these work well with commuting times. An alternative to taking the car is to travel by bus to the station.
Travelling to the station by bus
An alternative to taking the car is to travel by bus to the station. Plusbus’ survey of car parking fees at 30 main rail stations shows that, on average, a typical commuter could save around £88 per month (or over £1,050 a year) by switching to PLUSBUS for their journey to/from the station as opposed to parking their car at the station.