High-speed rail service 'is a priority for business travellers'

Date: 29/1/2010

A high-speed rail service would make it much easier for people to do business here and overseas, according to an organisation that lobbies on behalf of those involved in business travel.

Anne Godfrey, chief executive at the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC), said this kind of service would be particularly valuable as Britain comes out of recession.

She added that there needs to be cross-party agreement on high-speed rail and decisions made about how it will be funded and what routes it will have.

Ms Godfrey's comments come after a survey of 1,250 business travellers by the GTMC found 70 per cent of respondents felt a high-speed rail service should be the priority for government investment.

These respondents stated a railway service should take priority over airport expansion.

Of those polled, 66 per cent of business travellers stated they would switch from aviation to rail if the trip was faster and 55 per cent said they would switch if rail was cheaper.