Posted 16th September 2010 | 6 Comments
Trains move ahead in the battle for air passengers
THE proportion of passengers choosing trains rather than domestic flights is rising, but there's still some way to go, judging by new figures from ATOC.
The Association of Train Operating Companies said that 'in recent years, rail’s market share on routes that have traditionally been dominated by domestic air travel has risen significantly.
'Over the last 18 months, rail’s market share has seen a particularly sharp surge, as tough economic times have led to increasing numbers of people taking advantage of value for money rail tickets.'
Several key intercity routes appear to be tempting more people away from aircraft, particularly on the hotly-contested corridor between London and Manchester. Accelerated and more frequent services introduced as a result of Virgin's Very High Frequency initiative and the West Coast Main Line upgrade have increased rail's share from 69 per cent in 2008 to 85 per cent in June this year.
Other routes have also improved, usually from a lower base.
Birmingham/Edinburgh has more than doubled, from 14 per cent in 2008 to 31 per cent this year, and Birmingham/Glasgow has also risen, from 15 per cent to 27 per cent.
But London/Glasgow is proving to be a tougher nut to crack, probably because the best journey time from London Euston to Glasgow Central is still about 4h30, in spite of the improvements introduced in December 2008. Virgin is known to be keen to reduce the time to about four hours, which would improve its chances of winning the fight against air.
So far, however, trains between London and Glasgow only have 21 per cent of the market, although even that is an improvement on the 12 per cent recorded two years ago.
The general picture is far from gloomy, even so. ATOC said that between 2006 and 2009, total journeys by rail on the 10 most popular domestic air routes rose by 31 per cent, while over the same period, numbers using domestic aviation fell by 20%. In 2009 demand for rail services on the top 10 routes rose by again, with journeys up by almost one million.
The volcanic ash clouds which grounded planes in the spring also did rail a favour: ATOC believes that some of those passengers who switched to rail during the emergency decided to stay on the tracks permanently, wooed by an absence of check-in times, security checks and other aviation formalities.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Ross, Edinburgh
The airline passenger numbers are there on the CAA website. Does ATOC intend to release the actual rail passenger numbers on which this press statement is based? It can be worked out with a pocket calculator, based on the known airline data, but the correct information would still be appreciated.
Paul, London, England
Never mind the environment then John, your posterior is clearly more important.
I find it ironic that the 'saddle seats' to which you refer are actually known as airline seats in the rail industry. In any case how much legroom is there on a plane compared to train ?
Richard Woodward, London, UK
125mph is pathetic in this day and age. Glasgow is over 4 hours because of it. Even a modest rise to 135mph over significant sections would achieve a sub four hour timing. Alas, we've tried 3 times to reach closer to 140mph and missed all 3! What a success we are! It wouldn't take much either. I happen to know all the drivers of the Pendolinos feel it's safe and easy to reach 135mph with present signalling - shame they can't get a nod of the head from the powers that be.
H. Harvey, Birmingham
Lets not be to relaint upon airport check ins and volcanic ash clouds for rail to increase and maintain its market share of travel between uk major cities.
The ONLY sure way to do so is to build HS2 and its extensions north of Birmingham to Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle Glasgow Edinburgh with direct services to other major cities.
Those supporters of rail who keep dragging HS2 down by claiming it is better to improve existing classic services could perhaps refer to unstances where the road and aviation industrties have opposed plans to build new motorways of additional runways/local airports.
I have yet to read of such instances and to think ANY governmment would divert savings from NOT building HS2 into existing rail services must live in cloud cuckoo land. Two regular contributors to a certain rail magazine are forever pushing this theory in their opposition to HS2 one of them fears cycles will be banned on the HS services why the other opposes it I am not too sure.
Let's not give the enemy ammunition when we should be supplying our troops with that information tha promotes rail
I hope Railnews will remain true to that principle.
Joel Kosminsky, London, Britain
Domestic air fares are substantially high-end time-sensitive business-oriented, but comparability exists in the advance-booked / on-line [leisure] markets. Are rail's new passengers full-fare and/or budget? Is the air market shrinking which artificially inflates rail numbers? I'd like more information please!
John Bowen, Swindon, UK
For me the standard of comford on trains has declined significantly with the newer rolling stock and I would not countenance swapping planes for trains on any of these routes.
Unless these ludicrous saddle seats are introduced on internal flights then flying will be my preferred option for the foreseable future.