Klimatångest may be behind the trend that more takes the train

As the head of the företagsförsäljningen at SJ sees Ida Thermaenius a clear result of the summer heat wave.

– A significant breakthrough has been made. The hot summer has led to awareness among companies and individual employees that they can help to reduce the klimatavtrycket in their travels, " she says.

That train is preferable from the environmental point of view is hardly unknown, but the step from there to that business travelers are abandoning the old habits and replacing business travel by car and air with train travel is a completely different thing.

The hot summer, the fires and the subsequent debate, however, has put a clear imprint in the fresh statistics that Sifo carried out for SJ's behalf and related to business travel in the winter.

the fifth business traveler that travels more environmentally friendly than in the past. Just over four out of ten state that the environment is the reason that they choose the train over other modes of transportation.

Was the third business traveller, 33%, claim that they choose the train in front of the car when it is possible. A year ago the figure was 14 per cent.

It is the employee himself who, in a higher degree than the previous controls which transport to use – 62 percent say they always or usually make the decision. While in 26% of cases is the employer's policy determines the choice.

Ida Thermaenius, head of företagsförsäljningen at SJ. Photo: Henry Lundholm

– the Public sector is good at control with the guidance on how the trips should be done. The private sector does not have the same harsh directive, so it is to the larger part of the employees decide how the trip will be made, " says Ida Thermaenius.

" We have seen a big demand on the line Stockholm-Sundsvall, especially in the last half of the year, and therefore we will expand the traffic by 50%.

the Desire among business travellers to go by train on the very route associated with it in Sundsvall there are a number of government agencies, which have a large focus on sustainability.

Many companies have climate goals, and we work with those who want to find a new behavior by weighing factors such as carbon footprint, price and time savings. More and more companies want to be a sustainable company, " says Ida Thermaenius

– It is something that we wrestle with. Whether we go by train, plane or car, it can happen. But in 2017 came nine out of ten trains on time. Okay, in 2018 will be the statistics slightly worse on the basis of extensive banarbete in the summer, " says Ida Thermaenius.

Finally, it is the individual passenger's own experiences of rail travel that determines if the train is renewed confidence the next time the mode of transport shall be chosen.

for rail travel, but for the business traveller, it means even more that there is the opportunity to work on board. This is according to 51% of those who responded in the SJ's survey. More than in the past begin and end their business day on a train because the employer accepts it as working time. These business travelers staying in the many cases in locations that are within a couple of hours of travelling time from Stockholm, Linköping, Norrköping, Västerås, Katrineholm, Eskilstuna and Gävle.

trains increases. The bookings on the route Stockholm–Malmö has increased by over 40% in winter, compared with a year ago.

– Many people want to avoid fakirflyget and takes instead the night train, " says Ida Thermaenius.

the night train is perceived as a convenient way to come to a meeting that is held in the morning. After the meeting, puts the employee on the train home and use the time to finish the working day.

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