Unlocking the Economic Benefits of Rail to Local Communities

The future of rail travel post-pandemic has been the subject of much discussion over the last couple of years. A lesser explored part of this conversation is the role rail travel plays in local economies and the way in which the railway contributes to building strong local microeconomies around stations.

With that in mind, this research explores how people in different locations across Great Britain are spending money in local businesses in and around the station and on the local high street when they travel by train – and how rail travel is supporting networks of local businesses in UK towns and cities.

Key findings include:

• 72% of people view the station as important in helping the local economy and businesses thrive.
• People travelling by rail are supporting local businesses by spending on average £32 in and around their departure station with £19 spent on the local high street, £7 inside the station and £6 in the vicinity of the station.
• Spending is highest on average when rail customers are travelling for leisure (£35), followed by commuting (£30) and then business travel (£26).
• Overall, more than 40% agree that they usually spend more money in their local area when travelling by rail compared to other modes of transport.
• Close to half of survey respondents agree that they usually spend money on their local high street when travelling by rail.
• Given that, overall, the sustained cost of living crisis means many people have less money to spend, where they spend it is important for thriving local communities: those surveyed report that they spend around £7 locally at independent businesses, when departing by rail.