Network Rail has scored a spectacular public relations own goal by sending its staff to a conference by coach, because the cost of travelling by train was far too expensive.
The company took the decision to bus 200 of its staff on the 180-mile return trip from its Reading headquarters to Coventry when it realised it could make substantial savings by sending them by coach at less than a tenth of the cost.
The not-for-profit organisation, which runs the UK's rail infrastructure, would have splashed out a cool £27,000 on open return tickets and so took what it felt was a more economical option and instead spent £2,400 on several coaches, working out at just £12 per head.
But PR professionals are warning Network Rail that instead of saving the company money, the extraordinarily naive business decision will end up costing the industry millions by sending out a clear message to rail travellers that they would be better off ditching the train.
And the timing also couldn't have been any worse, coming just days after the UK's rolling stock became a laughing stock following the negative media coverage surrounding the country's first ever £1,000 rail fare.
The episode highlights just how important PR can be to business and that not every decision designed to keep the accountants happy is necessarily in a company's overall interests.
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