More than two-thirds (67%) of people say that the recent wave of strikes means they’ll use trains less in the future.
February’s Startline Used Car Tracker reports that the vast majority – 78% – plan to travel instead by car with 35% walking more, 19% using other public transport such as bus and tram, 13% using a traditional bike and 11% an electric bicycle.
However, a significant minority remain committed to rail use with 20% saying it is “convenient” and 16% that they simply like travelling by train.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said, “Anecdotal feedback suggests used car sales are increasing in areas especially affected by the rail strikes and our research at least partially bears this out. It seems industrial action is affecting overall willingness to use trains and that people are using cars and other transport more often.
“It would be worrying if rail-to-car switching by travellers develops into a long-term trend. This would obviously be bad news for clean air strategies in cities and for urban congestion in general. To us, these findings underline the need to resolve the rail dispute as soon as possible.”
