It’s no surprise that travellers between London and Scotland are favouring trains instead of planes. There are several good reasons for this, both because of the attractiveness of rail and the discomfort of air travel.

Let’s start with the latter. Getting from London to an airport invariably means a difficult journey, probably at rush hour. Heathrow is nearly an hour by Tube from central London as few people, apart from foreigners and rich business people, will use the Heathrow Express service given it costs £25 one way. Stansted is reached by a long bus or rail journey and Luton has the added inconvenience of requiring a shuttle bus for those arriving by rail (though a light rail link is being planned). Gatwick is also a half an hour away from Victoria while London City is not on the Tube, leaving the Docklands Light Railway as the main public transport route.

Contrast that with getting to well-connected Kings Cross or Euston which are both on the Victoria and other Tube lines and where the trains can be accessed straight away with no security hassles.

Similarly trekking between Glasgow or Edinburgh airport to their respective town centres is either an expensive taxi ride or 45 minutes or so by bus or tram – though the tram journey into Edinburgh is a great new way of getting to the city centre.

Then there is the real bugbear – security. My view is that this is the biggest push factor away from air travel. Queuing up for half an hour for the hassle of taking off one’s shoes, unbuckling one’s belt and clearing one’s pockets of all those 1ps - oh and throwing away that £2 water bottle you just bought – is not an experience anyone enjoys. All this for the hassle of being cramped in a small metal tube for an hour with the smell of expensive but inedible food pervading the atmosphere.

Contrast this with the civilised atmosphere of the rail journey with a seat to yourself, possibly even a table to lean on, and a relaxed ride which, as one heads north, becomes more and more attractive. On both West and East Coast main lines, there are fantastic views to be had, with my favourite being the East Coast which overlooks Durham Cathedral, trundles over the Tyne Bridge and then offers stunning seascapes in the Scottish borders, not forgetting that magnificent view of Berwick upon Tweed from the bridge over the river. Nowadays, wifi is often free or relatively cheap, and is generally available. That connectivity, and the ability to work on trains is also a major factor in attracting people to rail.

The stations offer a far more variety of food at prices well below those at the airports. And while on board the fare is limited, there is the prospect of upgrading, often quite cheaply, to first class where excellent food is served for free including those famous breakfasts.

Ultimately, though, for many people it comes down to price. There are undoubtedly times when air offers cheaper bargains but the cost of travel to and from the airport, unlikely to be much less than £15 or £20, has to be taken into account. And quite often, even if the train is a bit more expensive, the sheer pleasure of being able to sit in a comfortable seat and relax for four hours, with wifi if you want to work, beats the hassled of schlepping out and back to the distant airports. Rail is onto a winner and with new trains set to be introduce on the East Coast in the next year or so, it will become even more competitive. Ryanair, EasyJet and BA will have to watch out as even more of their market share is nabbed because people are letting the train take the strain, as BR used to promise