U.K. Business Travelers Prefer High-Speed Rail To Airport Improvements

British business travelers overwhelmingly want a domestic high-speed rail link in preference to expanding air capacity, according to a survey of 1,250 travelers released by the United Kingdom's Guild of Travel Management Companies on Tuesday.

The survey found that 70 percent opted for high-speed rail in preference to building new runways, expanding regional airports or other airport developments. At present, the only high-speed line in the United Kingdom runs between the Channel Tunnel and London for Eurostar services. However, the national government has opened consultations on building lines northward from London to major cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

GTMC unveiled the survey as it launched its "Business Travel Manifesto," aimed at educating the leading political parties about the wishes of business travelers. The United Kingdom will hold a general election by May at the latest, although no date has been set.

GTMC has reshaped its public affairs policies in line with what it learned from the manifesto. "There were a few differences but nothing major," said chief executive Anne Godfrey. The GTMC previously advocated total abolition of the U.K.'s departure tax, called the Air Passenger Duty, but survey respondents accepted this is unlikely and called instead for the revenue to be hypothecated for environmental or transport projects.

Only 16 percent of the survey's respondents fly in premium cabins. Twenty percent of their flights are on low-cost carriers. Another clear finding was that travelers want more Wi-Fi connectivity at airports and railway stations and on trains.