Londoners now face the longest commute, reveals study

The average daily commute has increased by 18 hours compared to over a decade ago, with many workers travelling for up to 58 minutes both ways.

Getting to and from work now takes five minutes longer, according to new analysis published by the TUC, which marks the annual Commute Smart Week organised by Work Wise UK.

Rail commuters face the longest time travelling, taking on average two hours and 11 minutes every day – which signals an increase of four minutes on the last decade.

Meanwhile, drivers spend up to 52 minutes (up by three minutes) behind the wheel and bus commuters set aside 79 minutes a day (up by seven minutes).

“Long commutes have become a part of the UK’s working culture. But the excessive time spent commuting is one of the main factors contributing to work-life balance problems,” said Work Wise UK’s chief executive, Phil Flaxton.

“Not only is the time spent commuting an issue, the nine-to-five culture with its peak travel times generates congestion. And the rush-hours on railways, underground and road networks increase stress for commuters.”

Londoners take the longest to get to and from work, the report found, with many travelling for one hour and 21 minutes each day, which is 23 minutes longer than the average across the UK.

Flaxton added: “The overall message for employers is that job satisfaction can be improved, and stress levels reduced if workers have opportunities to cut their commuting time.

“That could mean working from home occasionally or staggering their hours.  It could also be good news for employee wellbeing and retention, with lower costs to businesses.”