Arriva tells business travellers it’s ‘Good To Go’ by rail

Putting the train back at the heart of business travel is the aim of three UK train operators who are backing a new customer confidence scheme by Visit Britain.

Grand Central, CrossCountry and Chiltern Railways have all gained accreditation to Visit Britain’s ‘Good To Go’ initiative, as they look to reassure passengers on the safety of train travel during the COVID pandemic.

The three operators, all part of Arriva’s UK rail division, say that being officially recognised as taking passenger health and wellbeing seriously, enables Arriva to further reassure businesses and individuals that rail is a safe, easy option for travel.

Lorna Thornton, Head of Business Sales, for Arriva’s rail division, said: “Rebuilding confidence in rail travel is essential as the country begins returning to work and COVID-19 restrictions are gradually eased.

“Business travellers are now looking to train companies for reassurance over things like on board cleaning and social distancing, as well as the usual requirements such as Wi-Fi and reliability. This is why at Arriva we’re working really hard to show people we’re doing everything to ensure they can travel with confidence and feel safe.

“Visit Britain is the UK’s official tourism body, but we recognised that it’s ‘Good To Go’ scheme was not only something we needed to support but also be part of. Its goals align with ours. When it comes to train travel, it doesn’t matter if you’re on board for leisure or business, you want to hear those explicit reassurances on anti-COVID measures.”

The ‘Good To Go’ accreditation means Grand Central, Chiltern and CrossCountry are recognized as complying with, and taking the necessary measures, to meet government guidelines on COVID-19.

Travel Management Company, Clarity, a key partner of Arriva’s train companies welcomed the accreditation and said customer confidence was ‘vital’ to entice passengers back to rail travel.

Clarity’s Commercial Director, Sue Chapman, offered: “With 96 per cent of companies worldwide saying they need guidance on how business travel will look in a world with COVID-19, the rail industry must step up and meet those needs. It’s going to be an evolving process, but reassurance is vital in rebuilding confidence. The Good To Goaccreditation is a great foundation to build that confidence on.”