If Great British Railways is the future, why has the Railways Bill forgotten business travellers?

It’s a major step in modernising how our railways are run, but despite its potential to reshape how millions of us travel for work, it barely made headlines.

Every day, thousands of people travel for work, not just executives, but engineers, consultants, carers and contractors. They rely on Britain’s railways to reach the meetings, sites and opportunities that keep the economy moving. Yet for too long, the system has been letting them down. And unless business travellers are given due prominence in this Bill, after all, they generate over a third of rail revenue* - Great British Railways (GBR) risks missing a great opportunity to rebuild trust in the system that moves working Britain.

Recent research from the Business Travel Association (BTA) shows that rail is the first choice for convenience and sustainability yet it is the third choice for domestic travel, with both car and air placing higher. For businesses aiming to be greener and workers wanting to be productive on the go, this looks like the obvious choice. But the truth is, and as the results show, there are evident barriers in the way.

That’s why we had high hopes for the Railways Bill, to make changes that could positively impact those travelling for work. Instead, business travellers, one of their biggest user groups were completely overlooked. It’s a missed opportunity that risks leaving a crucial part of the market under-served.

Large companies pour more than 20% of their UK travel budget into flying domestically*. Rail should be picked for the majority of these journeys, but existing roadblocks mean it isn't getting picked. GBR should see this as an opportunity to not only support the business travel community, but also a way to increase profits and ultimately positively impact the economy.

The bill rightly identifies key areas for improvement - driving consistency in services and ticketing and ensuring that accessibility isn’t an afterthought but a core principle. We welcome these steps as a chance to make rail not just a viable option, but a genuinely attractive one for business travellers and passengers alike.

Equally, the move to strengthen the passenger watchdog has real potential. If done right, it could be a genuine catalyst for proactive change – shifting the focus from simply responding to complaints towards anticipating issues and improving passenger experiences before problems arise. It could become a platform for collaboration with organisations like ours to truly amplify travellers’ voices and turn feedback into action. The intent is promising; what matters now is delivery.

On the technology front, consolidating 14 separate booking systems into one is a strong start but it shouldn’t be the finish line. GBR has the opportunity to think bigger: to create a seamless, end-to-end travel experience.

Our research shows the appetite is there, with 90% of travellers saying a unified system that connects rail with onward travel would make train journeys far more appealing. The future of rail depends on that kind of joined-up thinking - bold, user-centred, and ready to meet the way people actually travel.

Business travellers want to use rail, but only if it works for them. GBR now has the mandate and the model to make that happen. If it listens to those who travel for work, it can rebuild trust, boost the economy, and finally make the railway fit for modern Britain.

And the prize is significant - the latest report shows that a few non-legislative changes could unlock more than £144 million in additional revenue per RSP year, a 20% uplift on current business travel performance.

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Clive Wratten is the CEO of the Business Travel Association

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