Rail Delivery Group encourages staff to return to offices

The Rail Delivery Group has backed research indicating that employers want staff in the office for three days a week, rather than the two days that staff prefer.

It says a return to commuting would “benefit a range of industries”, with commuters having spent £30 billion a year with businesses prior to the pandemic.

One day of commuting is worth £82 million to British businesses, argues RDG, which represents train operating companies.

It says that if commuters were to add an extra day each week (“as employers are hoping for”), businesses could benefit from an extra £4.2bn revenue a year, helping the recovery of town and city centres.

The research, carried out by Imperial College London, shows there are mixed views on splitting the week.

It found that businesses recognised the importance of face-to-face contact when it comes to their success, with twothirds citing improved productivity and the difficulties of building relationships online.

Nearly two-thirds of businesses (64%) want to be based in city centres, which is good news for rail as a ready-made low carbon alternative to cars.

With the ‘Great Return’ under way after the lifting of working from home guidance, RDG Director General Andy Bagnall said: “This survey reflects the conversations up and down the country around how we should return to the office.

“It’s crucial that when employees do commute, they use rail as their first transport choice and avoid a car-led recovery.

“The rail industry is changing and improving the way we run the railway - including flexi-season tickets giving commuters more freedom to choose how they travel.”