Rail passengers’ time use and utility assessment: 2010 findings from Great Britain with multivariate analysis

Using data from Great Britain’s National Passenger Survey 2010 this paper examines the travel time use of rail passengers and their indicative assessment of its utility. The paper explores the impacts of individuals’ socio demographic characteristics, types of activity undertaken and the perceived difficulties that may be faced by the travellers on their assessment of travel time use utility. The study shows that only 13% of travellers considered their travel time as wasted. However, this varies by journey purpose, travelling class (first/standard class), gender and journey length. The study shows that the positive or negative appreciation by passengers of their journey time is not only a result of various combinations of on-board activity engagements, but also the smoothness of overall journey experience. Being able to work/study on the train most significantly increases individual appreciation of time use. However, a delay on an individual’s train journey also has a major influence in reducing his/her perceived value of travel time spent. ICT devices that enable travellers to watch film/video or play games or check emails are more appreciated than those providing access to music/podcast or access to social networking sites. The paper joins others in questioning assumptions made in economic appraisal that travel time is unproductive. It concludes with a call for more substantive and targeted data collection efforts within travel behaviour research devoted to further unravelling the phenomenon of the positive utility of travel.