Travel is an essential part of any business, whether it’s visiting existing customers, pitching to prospects, or networking at industry events.
Now more than ever, debates around environmental concerns and climate change increasingly draw attention to the importance of sustainability within a business, with many building it into their CSR and travel management plans.
In this ever-changing world, organisations are re-evaluating their sustainability practices and are open to more environmentally friendly alternatives. Amongst this, train travel emerges as a compelling solution that combines the efficiency of modern transportation with a significantly lower carbon footprint.
That’s why West Midlands Trains (operator of West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway) wants to introduce you to Just Business – a free online platform that has been designed to help businesses simplify booking business train travel whilst assisting in reducing their carbon emissions.
Sophie Gardner, Sales and Partnership Manager at West Midlands Trains, tells us all about the platform and its benefits.
What is Just Business?
Aimed at business travellers, Just Business is our free-to-use online platform, designed to help companies streamline their employees train travel and access comprehensive reports, all whilst helping the environment.
The service consolidates and simplifies the train booking process, while helping customers find the cheapest fares available for their journeys on any train route across the UK, with the added benefit of no booking fees (unlike some other providers).
Businesses that sign up are given a unique login for each member of staff so they can individually search, book, and pay for their tickets through the platform. The service also allows companies to set bespoke rules and preferences to determine what tickets employees have permission to book, along with spending caps.
How does it help the environment?
Amongst the many modes of transport to choose from, opting for train travel stands out as one of the most sustainable travel decisions.
To put that into perspective, taking the train leads to five times less carbon emissions compared to using a car*. This means that a simple train journey between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International can save
over 2kg CO2e emission – an equivalent of boiling more than 300l of water in a kettle.
Each user of the Just Business platform also receives access to a unique reporting tool, allowing them to track the businesses’ carbon footprint and compare this against other modes of travel.
Beyond the immediate benefits of reduced emissions, travelling by train for business offers a wealth of advantages that align with corporate social responsibility, cost-effectiveness, and employee wellbeing.
What are the benefits of using Just Business?
- 24/7 reporting and dashboard.
- Tickets are sent straight to your email.
- Allows to set company’s individual rules and preferences.
- You can book any operator in the UK.
- Supports sustainability initiatives with in-depth carbon emission reporting.
- Employees aren’t out of pocket.
- Saves time and hassle.
- No booking fees.
Who can use Just Business?
Just Business is suitable for any sized business across any industry. We’ve already helped hundreds of companies overcome business travel-relatedissues. SLC Rail were an early sign up to the platform and are extremely pleased with the results.
To find out how Just Business could benefit your organisation, get in touch with Sophie Gardner at West Midlands Trains on sophie.gardner@wmtrains.co.uk or 07816 203 399