Agency consortium Advantage has forged a new partnership with the UK’s Rail Delivery Group (RDG) to increase the “focus” on train travel within the corporate sector.
London-based Advantage Travel Partnership, which is ranked as the third largest consortium/TMC network in Europe, said the new arrangement would recognise the “shared interests and goals of both organisations and the potential benefits of working together”.
The partnership will look at “addressing common challenges” relating to UK domestic rail within the business travel sector, as well as “partnering together on the political agenda” as the future of the rail network is mapped out by new UK government.
“By combining resources, they will have the opportunity to create impactful initiatives that benefit their members, as well as the wider business travel industry,” said Advantage in a statement.
Andrea Caulfield-Smith, managing director of global business travel at Advantage, added: “This collaboration offers us the opportunity to showcase the efficiency, safety and sustainability of rail transport across the UK to our members, as we are likely to see modal shift from air to rail for business travellers in the future.
“Rail is a vital part of the UK’s infrastructure for business travellers. We're excited to embark on this journey with such a reputable organisation and look forward to making a positive impact on the rail industry.”
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operating companies in the UK, said it wants to create a “simpler, better railway” for passengers.
Paul Bowden, RDG’s director of commercial and third-party retailing, said: “We’re excited to launch a partnership with Advantage, to increase the focus on rail within the business travel sector. Through the partnership, we’ll be able to support and educate Advantage members with the latest updates on rail projects and initiatives that are relevant to business travellers.
“As we promote the benefits of rail as a preferred mode of travel, our partnership will enable us to widen the conversations to elevate projects such as Green Travel Pledge, which is a rail industry initiative to create a recognised industry benchmark for carbon emissions at the point of sale. Together we can actively encourage increased use of rail as a sustainable mode of travel.”
RDG said that increasing UK rail use by 40 per cent by 2035 could reduce overall car journeys by 4 billion miles and cut emissions by 1.8 million tonnes annually.