Local rail operator c2c Trenitalia is celebrating new research that shows 98 per cent of UK commuters listen to music during their train journeys to enhance their mood and mental wellbeing.
c2c said that many of its customers travel along the picturesque Essex Riviera for their commute, and a number of chart-topping classics are helping to set them up for the day, according to a new report from the Rail Delivery Group.
The research states that 98 per cent of passengers said they listened to music while on the train, with 40 per cent of respondents saying that not listening to music would negatively impact their mood and mental wellbeing.
Additionally, a combined 57 per cent of respondents said that they rely on their commute to wake them up, get them ready for the day ahead and improve their mental health.
c2c said that throughout 2024, its trains achieved a within three minutes of scheduled arrival percentage of 93.5 per cent – significantly higher than the 84.8 per cent national average.
Dr Michael Bonshor, Course Director of the University of Sheffield’s Distance Learning MA in Music Psychology in Education, Performance and Wellbeing explained how music can enhance the train experience, commenting: “Listening to familiar music on the train is often enjoyable because it can create pleasurable feelings of relaxation and nostalgia. We associate past experiences with particular songs, so we choose tracks that we know will be uplifting, relaxing or help us prepare for our working day.”
Britain’s top commuting tunes range from 80s power ballads to modern crowd pleasers, according to those surveyed, with the top five as follows:
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor – 36 per cent.
9 to 5 by Dolly Parton – 28 per cent.
Happy by Pharrell Williams – 24 per cent.
I Gotta Feeling by the Black-Eyed Peas – 24 per cent.
Manic Monday by The Bangles – 24 per cent.
Rob Mullen, c2c’s Managing Director, commented: “We want our customers to feel relaxed and happy when we bring them to and from work every day and, as we all know, getting in the right frame of mind is invaluable in setting the tone for the day.
“While the beautiful scenery across our route helps, music is so vitally important to achieving that goal, which is why c2c understands the importance of providing a reliable and relaxing service that allows our passengers to not have to worry about getting to and from work.”
According to the report, the average amount of time people listened to music on their commute was 72.7 minutes, with 46 per cent of people saying that the journey provided some ‘me time.’ For c2c passengers, the journey from Southend Central to London Fenchurch Street takes just 54 minutes, so with a reliable amount of ‘me time’ in the morning and evening, passengers can put on their headphones and release the feeling of being ‘Under Pressure.’
So, in the 54 minutes it takes to catch the train from Southend Central to Fenchurch Street, you can fit in 15 of your favourite songs, setting the mood for whatever you have planned at the end of the journey.
c2c is committed to championing music education in our local communities, highlighted by our longstanding partnership with The Song School in Southend, which has seen the school’s children come down to our stations to perform for customers on numerous occasions.
Started by iconic local musician, Louisa Strachan, The Song School provides children with the opportunity to further their music education as well as giving them a platform to discover the subject in further depth.
Finally, as part of the campaign, National Rail is offering passengers a 30 per cent discount on Sofar Sounds owned gigs and music events (valid until Thursday 27 February 2025) – and is available by clicking here.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source news.railbusinessdaily.com ’
