TRAIN UP AIR DOWN
Saturday, 19 Jul, 2009
0
Advance ticket sales are up by almost 50% on rail routes across the country this July as Britons prepare to escape from it all on holiday, according to new data released today from leading ticket retailer, thetrainline.com. Growth has also been reported by Eurostar.
Instead of the usual mass exodus overseas, it appears that Brits are opting for some summer sun closer to home this year. Nearly 50% more people have already booked their train ticket for the start of the British summer through thetrainline.com website.
And with temperatures forecast to soar this summer, the British coast in particular, is enjoying a surge in popularity with traditional seaside destinations like Blackpool and Brighton seeing significant hikes in advance rail bookings compared to last year (+120% and +64% respectively).
The increase in rail ticket purchases appears to correlate with figures released by BAA last month revealing a 7% decline in air passenger numbers travelling from key British airports such as Heathrow and Gatwick. It appears that 2009 will be the summer of the ‘staycation’ or at least a ‘railcation’ for many Brits this year.
Commenting on the data, Ben Pearson, commercial director for thetrainline.com, said: "July heralds the start of the Great British Getaway we all look forward to, but it appears that this year, more people than ever are planning to stay in this country.
"Advance bookings are particularly on the increase as travellers are becoming increasingly wise to the savings that can be made by booking in advance online rather than buying a ticket on the day of travel from the station."
Customers can make an average saving of 43% on advance tickets if booked up to 6pm on the day before departure with the trainline, compared to ‘turn up and go’ tickets bought at the station on the day of travel.
Eurostar, the high-speed provider of carbon-neutral rail journeys between the U.K. and continental Europe, has also reported a 22 percent rise in travelers between London and Amsterdam via Brussels.
The growth in rail travel between the cities comes as Dutch and Belgian Railways unveiled the new high-speed service that will operate between Brussels and Amsterdam from next year on July 7. The Fyra high-speed trains will connect with Eurostar services at Brussels-Midi and call at Antwerp, Rotterdam and Schiphol en route to Amsterdam.
Eurostar expects that the 22 percent growth in travelers to Amsterdam that has occurred since the Channel Tunnel fully re-opened in February will be further boosted in a year’s time by the phased introduction of Fyra services and a significant reduction in journey times from the current overall time of just over five hours. Eurostar has also seen a 34 percent increase in traveler numbers from Dutch cities such as Amsterdam to London, compared with last year.
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