Survey: 90% of Travellers Vote Rail

86% of respondents agree that Ease of Trip is more important than Travel Time

With air travel becoming increasingly tedious, costly and frustrating, it is no surprise that travelers are looking for an alternative. Though high-speed rail is enormously popular in Europe and Asia, receiving more than $200 billion of investment worldwide, and $53 billion from the Obama administration, the question remains:

Will high-speed rail replace flying on short trip routes?

In a recent poll of global travelers by SilverRail Technologies, the world’s first global rail ticket technology platform, the answer is a resounding ‘YES’ with 90% of respondents saying they would like to see rail options displayed alongside flights when searching for travel.

• 79% would choose train over plane if high-speed rail options existed
• 61% would choose rail over air if the cost was the same or better

This poll concluded that time, cost and comfort are the 3 key factors considered by consumers when booking travel and flying is coming in second increasingly often.

TIME:
The results reveal that travellers are considering total travel time – getting from door to door – and the full travel experience when choosing mode of transport.

• 86% of people would accept having the entire time from door-to-door be longer to avoid the process of checking in, security and boarding
• 66% would willingly add an hour or more of total travel to their trips to avoid the hassles of long lines, airport security and baggage fees

COST:

• 89% of people take action to avoid paying bag fees, strategizing packing days in advance and stuffing carry-ons to maximum capacity to avoid checking bags
• 19% of people surveyed say they pack underwear in a laptop bag to avoid checking bags
• 61% are frustrated with extra costs added to airline ticket prices and wanted to be secure that the ticket price they paid is the total price

COMFORT:

• Waiting in line is the no1 air travel hassle, according to 72% of people
• While waiting in line for a pat down, 47 % dream about the easy travel of yesteryear
• 36% wanted family and friends to be able to accompany them to the gate, an impossibility with air travel

“This eye-opening poll tells us that the public is eager to make the switch to high-speed rail travel, and the significant investments being made in high speed rail will clearly enable this,” says SilverRail CEO and co-founder of SilverRail Technologies, Aaron Gowell. “Our goal is to give consumers more choice by providing the technology that enables travel websites to sell high-speed rail alongside air, making train travel anywhere in the world as easy or easier, to book as air travel.”

About the survey:

The Zoomerang survey incorporated 10 questions, respondents were required to answer each question before moving on to the next. Only complete surveys were included in the results. Over 300 were surveyed between 7 Feb and 7 March.

The survey was announced on major social media channels including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Also distributed through the personal and professional networks of SilverRail management and Board of Directors, and communications teams – all very connected in travel.

SilverRail has built the first global distribution platform specializing in passenger rail, allowing rail operators and travel sellers to easily connect with each other.  The SilverCore platform aggregates global rail content into a single, unified system through direct supplier connections, standardizing the search, booking, and fulfillment processes.  By removing the complexities of selling rail, SilverRail enables global rail search irrespective of operators, geographies, and currencies.

Valere Tjolle
  Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite. Get FREE contents guide to Sustainable Destination Report CLICK HERE: Special Offer on Sustainable Tourism Marketing Guide CLICK HERE Special Offer on Sustainable Tourism Ministers Briefing CLICK HERE