Transport and Commuting to London for Work

Commuting in the UK has always been an issue, with an average commute nearly an hour long at 54 minutes. But, it’s Londoners who bear the brunt of this with the longest commute in the country at 74 minutes – almost twice the worldwide average of 40 minutes.

According to a recent poll, two-thirds of Londoners found using public transport the most stressful part of living in the capital. Commuting is generally considered an unpleasant activity, and when you factor in the time it takes to travel to work in London, it is not surprising that many professionals and businesses are looking for alternative ways of working.

Commuting to London by train is all part of life in the capital as the city has the lowest levels of car ownership in the UK and the highest proportions of commuters using public transport in the country.

Busiest Train Routes in London

Eight out of the ten busiest trains are suburban commuter lines into London, with the 07h16 East Grinstead to London Bridge being named Britain’s most overcrowded commuter train. The other two busiest train routes are in the Manchester region.

Based on official figures from the Department for Transport, all of these crowded trains are carrying almost double the number of passengers they were designed to take. About 1, 366 passengers pack into the East Grinstead train from Monday to Friday, which is more than double its intended capacity of 640 passengers.

Coming up second is Great Northern’s 07h55 Cambridge to King’s Cross service, which carries 426 commuters compared to the 202 it was designed for. The 17h08 Sutton to St Albans is currently serving 758 passengers daily, even though it has a capacity for 391 commuters. The remaining top eight in London are:

• 5.08pm Sutton to St Albans City
• 6.57am Brighton to Bedford
• 4 pm Manchester Airport to Edinburgh
• 7.27am Reigate to London Bridge
• 5.18pm London Paddington to Oxford
• 4.22am Glasgow Central to Manchester Airport
• 4.26pm Bedford to Brighton
• 6.13pm Euston to Birmingham New St

Demand for rail services into London has increased by 12% over the last six years, and it is forecast that by the early 2030’s, Waterloo trains in peak hours could be comparable to 5.4 passengers cramming into an average-sized phone booth.

A Rail Delivery Group report found that the number of rail journeys was up from 800m in the late 1990’s to 1.6bn in 2015, meaning that the number of train journeys made each year has more than doubled since that time period.

Commuters are Deserting Trains

Commuters are becoming frustrated with the long commutes, high fares and often unreliable services of rail travel. Many people are slowly deserting trains and opting to work from home, while Londoners are changing the way they work to avoid the use of the railway.

In 2017 alone, rail fares rose by an average of 3.4%, the largest increase since 2013. Cheap train tickets now seem to be a thing of the past as train fares have risen twice as fast as salaries over the past decade.

Commuter routes that are now more expensive include Liverpool to Manchester, Maidenhead to London and Elgin to Inverness. This has resulted in many passengers abandoning the rail services, with south-east rail services experiencing the most significant drop.

Many rail executives argue that Brexit is to blame for falling traffic, although a more likely reason, given by industry experts, is the high fares and unreliable services. But thanks to more flexible hours and locations being implemented by companies, as well as the increase in part-time jobs and sophisticated technology, going to the office every day is becoming less of a burden.

A popular solution to commuting is moving to one of the 21 commuter towns in London, less than an hour’s journey from the capital. While this increases the cost of travel, it cuts the average cost of home buying from £380, 000 to a slightly more realistic £260, 000. With a saving of £80, 000, it makes the £5, 000 price tag of a season ticket almost reasonable. While the tariff may be one of the highest in the world, it is definitely an option for those who cannot afford to live in the city but must commute to work.

Is It Feasible to Cycle to Work in London?

Active travel like walking and cycling to work has seen an increase as it can take some of the stress out of commuting. Recent research has found that active travel can make commuters feel better physically and mentally. The two-decade-long study looked at 18, 000 commuters over this period and found that those who chose active modes of transport experienced improved psychological well-being. These commuters generally experienced less strain and stress, increased concentration and improved sleep, leaving them more rested and relaxed.

According to Strava, a running and cycling logging app, London commutes by bike more than any other city in the world. Bike commuting has gained in popularity with almost 10, 000 rides uploaded every day.

While cycling during rush hour can be quite stressful, peak traffic is often quite slow in London, with cars often driving slower than cyclists. There are also several biking paths, and almost every traffic light has an area reserved for cyclists. London also has six Cycle Superhighways, which run from east to west and from north to south.

These are the five busiest routes for cyclists:

• Regent’s Canal Towpath, from Hackney to Islington
• Hyde Park Loop
• Tavistock Place
• Old Street/Clerkenwell Road/Theobalds Road
• A3 from Clapham to Southwark Bridge, London Bridge or Blackfriars Bridge

How Businesses Can Help Employees Combat Long Commutes

Businesses can help their employees enjoy shorter, cheaper and less-stressful commutes.

Season Ticket Loans and Discounts

Commuter concerns are not isolated to the time it takes to get to and from work. Due to the increased cost of travel, primarily by rail, many commuters face fares of more than £3, 000 – £5, 000 a year, depending on the route.

Businesses can assist employees by offering season ticket loans, which will help those staff members who are unable to pay upfront for a monthly or annual pass. Not only will employees enjoy cheaper rates, but they will be able to pay them back over an extended period.

Implement ‘Cycle to Work’ Schemes

The ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme is a government tax exemption program that allows employers to loan bikes and safety equipment to their staff as a tax-free benefit. Employees are also able to ‘buy’ the bike at the end of the repayment.

The scheme allows employees to spend up to £1, 000 on bikes and equipment, which will be tax-free and result in a saving of 42% on the overall value. In addition to the financial benefits, the scheme aims to encourage people to make healthier and more environmentally friendly lifestyle choices.

Offer Flexible and/or Remote Working

Help employees beat the rush hour traffic by offering flexible working conditions. Flexible working has been known to have a positive impact on both an employees’ physical and mental health as well as their productivity. In fact, according to a recent study, 30% of people would choose flexible working over a pay rise if they were given a choice.

Remote working could be considered if employees are struggling to make it to the office due to time or money constraints. If full-time remote working is out of the question, consider occasional remote working where employees can work from home or a flexible office space near them once or twice a week. In this way, the pressure is alleviated as employees do not have a long commute every day, and companies can save costs on office space and electricity bills.

Are you confused by office rental terms or want to brush up on your office jargon? We’ve created a useful Glossary of Flexible Office Space terms, whether it’s hybrid, hotdesking or flexi working you’ll find all the explanations you need.

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