Rail passengers spend half their journey time online

A recent study has revealed UK rail passengers spend half their journey time on a mobile connected device.

The study, carried out by KBH On-Train Media, looked at the behaviour of over 2,000 weekly rail users. The research discovered 92 percent of travellers owned a smartphone and 90 percent used the device while on a train.

Rail passengers are increasingly using the carriage as an office, living room or shopping mall with half of the journey time spent on a connected device. On average rail passengers spend 20 minutes per journey on a mobile, tablet or laptop with 58 percent listening to music, 43 percent emailing or working and 26 percent browsing retailers online.

Despite spending time on connected devices, the average rail passenger is also fully aware of their surroundings with 94 percent of respondents noticing traincard advertising. Of those, 48 percent have researched or looked up something they saw advertised, 33 percent spoke to someone about an on-train ad they’d seen and 24 percent bought something they saw advertised on-board.

Ian Reynolds, Managing Director, KBH On-Train Media, commented on the study findings: “As the number of rail users continues to steadily increase, the variety of activities they’re carrying out while on-board is also expanding. With pressure on commuters’ time greater than ever, we have found that on-train time is active time, with journeys used to work, shop, plan leisure activities and catch up on the latest entertainment.

“With traincards, brands and advertisers have a key opportunity to target connected consumers at an increasingly rare point when they actually have the time and ability to research, browse and make decisions. As connectivity on trains rises with increased investment in Wi-Fi, we expect to see rail users capitalise on these improvements, making the most of every journey.”