Millions of UK staycationers are being urged to travel by train where they can when they visit their favourite seaside and high-street arcades this Easter by bacta, the industry’s trade body.
The call to action comes as Britain faces a ‘cost of living crisis’, with fast-rising prices for food, fuel and many other household essentials.
The ONS recently said that CPI (consumer price index) inflation in the UK had hit a 30-year high of 6.2% in February, putting considerable pressure on consumers across the country.
Bacta also recognises this may be the first real chance for families and individuals to enjoy their Easter holidays without the anxiety and stress associated with Covid-19 rules and regulations.
However, with those new-found freedoms should come a sense of responsibility, to others, and to the environment.
One way to put this into action is by travelling green and reaching your destination by train, the most environmentally friendly public transport. Rail travel accounts for 14 grams of CO2 emissions per passenger mile, according to the European Environment Agency.
In comparison, 285 grams of CO2 emissions per passenger mile is generated by air travel, while 158 grams per passenger miles is created from car journeys.
The good news is that hundreds of seaside and high-street arcades are situated next to train stations across the country – from Blackpool to Brighton.
Travellers, however, should be aware of National Rail’s planned engineering works during the holiday period and should therefore check their travel plans before they travel.
CEO of bacta John White said: “With fuel prices rising and with most Covid-19 restrictions behind us, now is a great time to reconsider how we travel to our Easter Holidays.
“We are urging millions of staycationers across the UK to ‘Think Train’ as they plan their getaways for April. We hope when they next visit their favourite seaside arcade or adult gaming centre it will be via train power.
“This is a significant contributor to the UK economy. Before the pandemic, arcades and related activities contributed a significant turnover of £845m to the UK economy a Gross Value Added of £451m and were responsible for employing 19,235 people.”
UK Hospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls added: “Despite the pressure on people’s finances right now, we’re sure many thousands will be keen to take advantage of the fact that they’re at last free from Covid restrictions, and are eager to get out and about.
“Engineering works notwithstanding, a good way to do that would be to take advantage of our rail infrastructure, let the train take the strain, and enjoy all the fun that seaside hospitality venues provide, whether they’re pubs, bars, restaurants, gaming arcades or, of course, good old fish and chip shops.
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