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Network Rail Employees Will Travel To Conference By Bus

by amyellensoden | November 11, 2009 at 12:10 pm

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Network Rail employees in the UK have been instructed to travel to a conference in Coventry by bus in order to save on transportation costs. The company has recently been forced to reduce their costs by 21 percent and there are already plans to cut 1,500 jobs in the near future. As a result, Network Rail staff will travel by bus on November 20th to get to their conference.

The cost of 200 employees making a 90-mile trip from Reading to Coventry on the train was calculated as an "untenable" £27,000, compared to £2,400 by coach.

A second-class open return for the journey costs up to £146-a-head by train, whereas a return journey on a bus would cost £12 per person.

A spokesperson for Network Rail explained that their employees still value and make use of transport via trains on a regular basis, but that in order to cut costs, alternate transportation must be taken on this particular trip with so many employees.

"We are a rail company. We like to use trains. At present we are asking people throughout the business to cut costs and when we travel we always look to see just how much journeys cost and if there is a cheaper option. Our staff do not get free travel or discounts."