BCD Travel’s report reveals rail travel remains strong in 2025

UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS – BCD Travel surveyed 681 business travelers in Europe and Asia Pacific who took a train when traveling for business at least once in the past 12 months. The survey looked at traveler behavior, the challenges faced when traveling by rail, and satisfaction with rail policy and suppliers. According to the survey results, travelers prefer rail over other modes of transportation because of the central location of train stations, convenience and the ability to work while traveling. Six in 10 travelers expect to take the same number of trips by rail this year as they did last year, with 18% expecting to take more.

Policy

According to a third of respondents, their employer’s policy encourages them to travel by train instead of plane for short distances (whereas 6% of employers enforce rail travel). Six out of 10 have no policy that would either enforce or encourage rail travel or are not aware of such.

“Enforcing rail bookings in place of short-haul flights can help lower travel emissions. However, travelers must be aware of such policy changes in order to make an impact, which is why communicating with your travelers is so important. They need to understand when it’s appropriate to book rail instead of a flight and how to do that within the travel policy. Communicate across multiple channels – the company intranet, direct emails, and targeted messaging directly in the online booking tool,” said Olivia Ruggles-Brise, vice president of Sustainability at BCD Travel.

Decision-making

In today’s fast paced world, convenience is king. It’s no surprise then that the top three factors behind why travelers prefer rail over other modes of transportation include easy accessibility of railway stations (49%), convenience (46%) and the ability to work while traveling (41%). Environmental considerations rank a promising fourth: 31% take the train because it’s more sustainable.

“Taking the train as opposed to flying can reduce carbon emissions of a journey by as much as 95%,” said Ruggles-Brise. “It’s encouraging to see that travelers are starting to build this into their decision-making process. We’re delighted that through the new and expanding rail functionality in TripSource, BCD is able to facilitate this decision-making and support the continued expansion of sustainable choices when it comes to corporate travel.”

Booking

More than half of business travelers book rail directly through rail providers’ websites, while only a third use their company’s online booking tool (OBT). To close the gap, BCD continues to invest in its proprietary booking and trip management platform, TripSource, to deliver integrated rail functionality. By making rail options easily accessible within the OBT, TripSource empowers travelers with the choices they value – whether it’s convenience, comfort, or aligning with personal and corporate sustainability goals.

Ease of booking is prevalent. Over half of business travelers pay for rail service through their company’s corporate credit cards (six out of 10). A third pay by personal cards and get reimbursed.

Behavior

While convenience is an overall driver of traveler behavior, the ability to work on board is important too. When traveling by train, nearly seven in 10 tend to use Wi-Fi and power outlets and cite these two amenities as important. In fact, over eight business travelers out of 10 work on-board and around half use this time to rest. Four out of 10 read while traveling by rail. Few spend time watching movies; business travelers rarely use entertainment amenities.

Traveler satisfaction with company rail policies

Half of travelers are somewhat or extremely satisfied with their company’s rail policy. One in seven say their employer offers corporate rates for rail tickets. Half of travelers are allowed to use business class on trains, at least on some occasions. Three in 10 don’t encounter any challenges when it comes to rail policies. However, for those who do, the lack of clear policy, inconvenient booking and payment are among the challenges they mentioned.

Areas of challenge with rail suppliers

While over half of respondents are satisfied with the rail companies they use, nearly a quarter report low satisfaction levels. The main challenges encountered with rail suppliers include poor reliability due to delays or strikes (50%), overcrowding (43%), limited connectivity (33%) and high prices (30%). Three quarters of the respondents have experienced delays and half have faced cancellations. These are the top two disruptive situations mentioned by business travelers, followed by poor weather and overbooking.

“While rail remains a preferred mode of travel for many business travelers, ongoing challenges like reliability, overcrowding, and limited connectivity continue to impact satisfaction. At BCD, we’re focused on working closely with rail suppliers and technology partners to improve the traveler experience – from streamlining booking options to ensuring better visibility into disruptions,” said Yannis Karmis, SVP of Product & Development at BCD. “Our goal is to empower travelers with more resilient, connected, and comfortable rail journeys that align with both business needs and sustainability objectives.”

BCD Travel understands the power of flexible and efficient business travel and is committed to offering a fully integrated rail booking option in TripSource. BCD is expanding its regional presence and continues to add more carriers, giving travelers greater flexibility to book their trips their way.

The article BCD Travel’s report reveals rail travel remains strong in 2025 first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.