News

• New research from the rail industry and University College London (UCL) neuroscientists reveals that travelling by train offers psychological benefits for both wellbeing and brain function
• People who use their commute to prepare for the day and mentally disengage from work on the way home can experience less stress, anxiety and improved productivity
• Improved mental health (48%), work/life balance (46%), productivity (46%), motivation (47%) and fitness levels (51%) are some of the positive effects people are expecting to experience as they head back to their workplace
• To inspire commuters to make the most of their ‘me-time’ on their train journey and get more from their commute, the rail industry is giving commuters access to hundreds of FutureLearn online courses with a free upgrade, hot drinks, tastecard memberships and exclusive discounts at nationalrail.co.uk/commuter

Figures released today by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) show that freight carried by rail in the three-month period April to June has increased by 36.5% compared to the same period last year, demonstrating a strong recovery since the start of the pandemic 

• Rail industry launches ‘We Mean Green’ campaign to encourage people to take the train, and businesses to consider rail freight 
• On World Car Free Day, and in the run up to COP26, the classic double arrow rail logo is being given a green makeover to capture and convey the green benefits of train travel 

• One passenger train takes on average 500 cars off our roads and one freight train 76 lorries 

• Keith Williams, co-author of the Williams-Shapps plan for rail, says that there will never be a better opportunity for fares reform than now
• Andy Bagnall, Director General of the Rail Delivery Group, says the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review will be “critically important” to deliver long-heralded reform, highlighting that the government’s white paper “wills the ends but not the means” to deliver the changes passengers want on fares
• Remarks made at a high-profile Institute for Government event which looks at how the government will implement the biggest rail reforms in a generation

• With many workers set to return to offices this autumn, new research highlights how a significant reduction in commuting by train could damage city centres and high streets
• Train commuting is currently just 33% of pre-pandemic levels, latest industry figures show, while car journeys have reached pre-pandemic levels
• New research finds a 20% shift from rail to road would lead to 300 million extra hours of traffic congestion, enough to watch everything on Netflix 8,000 times
• Data shows train commuters are vital to city centres and high streets, spending a total of £30 billion per year

• National Rail breaks new ground in travel information with the launch of Alert Me by WhatsApp service for all UK rail passengers
• Service uses AI and prediction technology developed by Zipabout and integrated with WhatsApp to generate real-time personalised journey updates for passengers before they head to the station
• Passengers can also opt-in to receive free coffees and newspapers as part of a retail pilot that rewards customers for travelling by train

• Train ticket sales to seaside destinations for bank holiday weekend surpass pre-pandemic levels
• Extra train travellers will boost recovering seaside towns as research shows, on average, leisure passengers spend £116 per trip on shopping, eating out, hotels and other activities
• Train operators providing alerts about busy services, along with effective ventilation and continuing increased cleaning

• Rail industry campaign will raise awareness about what constitutes sexual harassment, encouraging reporting and helping to make sure there is no unsafe space on the railway
• Research shows people don’t realise that behaviours like wolf whistling, leering/staring or deliberately invading personal space are forms of sexual harassment

• Rail industry launches first major national marketing campaign since pandemic to encourage people back to trains 
• Latest figures show leisure journeys recovering quickly – but revenue still half of pre-pandemic levels 
• Campaign will help boost local businesses, with research showing leisure travellers by train spend £107 per trip on average 

• New research shows how train travel will be vital this summer to help local businesses hit hardest by the pandemic
• Research shows people travelling by train for days out and holidays spend on average £107 per trip on shopping, eating out, hotels and other activities
• Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are concerned about traffic congestion, difficulty receiving deliveries and worse parking if rail passengers switch to cars

The Department for Transport is today (Wednesday 28th of July) unveiling a range of initiatives to remove barriers and improve confidence for disabled people as they return to trains, buses, and taxis after the pandemic.