On the train you can:
Make more of
your time
Taking the train gives you control over your journey. Your travel time is yours to use. New research shows taking the train means gaining an average of three hours more usable time compared to flying.
When you factor in getting to the airport, check in, security and boarding, an estimated 93% of a rail journey is productive time compared to just 33% of a domestic flight.
So, whether you spend it getting ahead on work, catching up with friends or simply relaxing and watching the world go by, you can make more of your journey by taking the train.
For regular travellers, those hours add up. With a once-weekly journey between Edinburgh and London, you could gain the equivalent of a full working day each month.
Get there for less
Many people assume that travelling by train is more expensive than flying, but passengers save 71% on average when they take the train, or £147 per journey. That takes into account the additional costs of adding baggage to your ticket, transfers to and from the airport, and charges like seat selection fees when you fly.
Looking at fares alone, domestic flights cost 57% more on average than an equivalent train ticket.
Between London and Edinburgh, for example, a train ticket costs £64 on average, compared to £140 when flying.
Travel flexibly
Between London and Edinburgh, for example, there are 45 rail services every day and only 29 flights. That means more options if you need to travel earlier, stay later, change plans… there's no need to plan your trip around a limited flight schedule.
On key rail routes, services run up to every 20 minutes, giving you more choice over when you travel when you take the train.
Cut your carbon impact
Our independent research found that travelling by rail produces 85% less CO₂ per passenger than the equivalent domestic flight.
Across the routes studied, that means an average saving of 102 kgCO₂e per journey when passengers choose the train. That's the equivalent of boiling over 20,000 cups of water.
If you are looking to make more sustainable travel choices, switching from air to rail makes a real difference.
