If you’re having to travel around the country for work reasons, then you might find that you’re faced with a choice. You can travel by car, or by train. Aside from pure financial considerations, there are many reasons why you might prefer one over the other. But many of the advantages of train travel are difficult to quantify, and therefore easy to overlook. Let’s take a look at the case for train travel, broken down.
You Can Work
One of the downsides of travel by car is that you have to focus on the road in front of you. Spend a few hours on the motorway, and you’ll be wasting time that could have been put into something more productive. That isn’t to say that a train carriage is an ideal workplace, but it’s a perfect place to catch up on those elements of your job that don’t require ideal conditions – like catching up with that email backlog.
Cost
If you plan your train journeys ahead of time and travel during times of low demand, then you mind finding that your journey by train works out cheaper than the equivalent car journey. If you’re a frequent traveller, you don’t want to be buying your tickets as you go, you will benefit more from purchasing carnet tickets.
No Parking Problems
On a related note, it should be noted that trains can be more convenient, particularly when you’re doing business in the city centre. Now, you may find that some of the locations you’re visiting are a little far from a train station, but those that aren’t walkable are accessible via a short taxi trip. The reverse problem, of having to drive to the centre of an unfamiliar city, is far more difficult to manage.
Environmental Concerns
It’s obvious that travel by train is a better option from an environmental perspective than travel by plane. But it also beats out road travel, especially when you’re the sole occupant of a car travelling a long distance. If you’re looking to foster a culture of environmental responsibility in your company, then it should be consistent – which makes it essential that you lead through example and take the train.
Trains Are More Stimulating
When you’re driving, you typically are confronted by quite a dreary, repetitive landscape. A modern motorway is, after all, a long stretch of tarmac sat in a channel, which means that there’s not much in the way of stimulation. Plus, you’ll be looking ahead all the time. Trains, by contrast, have large windows – which not only provide you with visual stimulation – they also allow natural light in, making you feel better.
