
You might be a little less understanding after finding out that Network Rail bosses have spent ?1.3m on UK flights in the last year because it was cheaper than taking the train.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by The Sun found that employees of the public sector body took a total of 8,352 flights from April 2013 to March 2015, and spent ?1.1m on 2,907 international flights. The majority of these journeys were domestic flights ? 90 per cent were to Scotland, but some were further afield, with trips including Japan and Australia. Staff travelling on a journey of more than five hours could plump for business class. The company defended its decision as being the most convenient, cost-effective option. ?If employees have to attend a 10am business meeting in Scotland, it is cheaper to fly up than take the train the night before and have to pay for overnight accommodation,? it said in a statement. Network Rail also pointed to the majority of money spent by employees travelling by train. ?For the majority of staff, rail is much the better way to go. A total of ?1.3m was spent on flights in 2013/14 and 2014/15 but ?32m was spent on rail travel during that period.? Read more on the transport industry:- Is commuting more stressful than going to the dentist?
- The Crossrail journey: How it will affect UK businesses and commuters
- The problem with HS2? It’s in the wrong place
Share this story