Every year your train journeys contribute £9bn to independent businesses and over £23bn to UK high streets.
Four in five of you support businesses in and around railway stations and on the local high street when travelling by train, according to a report published by researcher WPI Economics and trade body Rail Delivery Group. That’s the same as an estimated 3.4m of you shopping at local businesses every day.
Meanwhile, your journeys by train benefit the local high street more than any other form of transport. In fact, you spend an average of £32 in the towns and cities you begin your journey from – and an average of £7 in local shops at the start of your journey. This might be from grabbing a coffee, getting a haircut, or buying a gift.
Local businesses supporting train journeys
The railway helps local businesses but the same is true the other way round. Local shops and businesses also encourage many of you to travel by train. A third of people surveyed said one of the main reasons they chose to travel by train was because they can shop in and around the station.
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of Rail Delivery Group, said: “Rail is at the heart of local economies. Up and down the country, we’re seeing networks of small and medium businesses and independent companies thriving in and around train stations.
“For our customers, travelling by train is more than getting from A to B. It is a ticket to explore our towns and cities and support the businesses on their local high streets. If more people choose to travel by train in the future, we can only expect to see a stronger ripple effect, giving a further boost to local economies.”
Competition time
Rail Delivery Group is celebrating the positive impact stations have in the upcoming World Cup of Stations 2024.
The competition will take place from 14 October to 18 October 2024 and involve 48 stations from across Britain. They’ll compete for the title of Station with the Best Local Businesses.
Rail Delivery Group hopes the competition will highlight the diverse range of businesses found at stations. They all play a crucial role in helping local communities, from delis to doughnut shops and florists to farm shops.
Support your local station and businesses that rely on the railway by voting online at www.raildeliverygroup.com/WorldCupOfStations
