EUROPE: The ability to use a train as a rolling office space is the key factor driving business customers to pick rail over other modes when they travel for work, according to a survey commissioned by Amex GBT.
The business travel software and services company has surveyed 3 000 business travellers from France, Germany and the UK. The results showed that 92% report using time on trains to get work done, with 41% sharing that they spend more than half their journey working. Comfort (43%), sustainability (39%), and valuing the time to sit and think (39%) were additional reasons cited for choosing rail for business trips versus the car or aeroplane.
Other findings from the survey highlighted that business travellers recognise that European inter-city trains already offer the basics amenities needed to work. More than two-thirds (68%) rated charging point availability as ‘good’, with nearly as many saying the same of the space they have to work (64%).
However, to improve productivity, workers say they are most keen to see amenities to be improved including onboard wi-fi (34%), mobile connectivity (25%), and access to quiet spaces that support ‘focused time’ (25%).
UK travellers want high speed
Business travellers in the UK were most positive about the prospect of high speed rail projects like High Speed 2 and the launch of more international services than their peers in France and Germany, the survey found.
Six in 10 UK respondents said high speed rail access would make them more likely to choose rail for work trips, while half believed the additional competition between train operators would lead to improved overall service quality.
The researchers told Railway Gazette International that there was little difference between responses in the three countries when it came to attitudes about rail travel being better abroad. In each country, there was a similar level of perception that rail services were better elsewhere.
The survey was conducted among a sample of 3 002 respondents who travel for work at least three times per year, and occasionally use the train for some of these journeys across Germany, France, and the UK. The data was collected in June 2025.
‘Taking action on putting rail at the heart of business travel is a win for employees and for businesses’, commented Jason Geall, Executive Vice President of Global SME at Amex GBT. ‘Companies unlock productivity gains while delivering on employee preferences and benefiting from the sustainability advantages of taking the train.’
