NEARLY a million people a year take the train between Edinburgh and London, and it’s becoming ever more popular. Many business travellers believe that rail now offers big advantages over air travel.

But does it? Is it more comfortable? Does it offer a better environment in which to work? And can using the train actually be quicker than flying?

Here at The Scotsman, we’re aiming to find out. We launched The Challenge on the 5th November at 9am. A direct, head to head contest which pits the train against the plane in real time. Two of our journalists, Rory Ford and Jonathan Trew, embarked on a trip from the centre of Edinburgh to the middle of London. One flew on a business ticket with a scheduled airline and the other travelled First Class with East Coast.

They both started from outside Edinburgh’s Scotsman Hotel and met up again some hours later at Sir Norman Foster’s iconic Gherkin building in the heart of the City.

During their trip, they carried out a few tasks to test their business productivity and the tasks were revealed to the journalists on the day.

The Challenge took place on 5th November. The aim was to compare the experience of the whole journey – not just the speed, but also the comfort, the food and the ability to be productive.

It’s an exciting and ambitious project, and one which we hope you’ll enjoy sharing with us.

Can the train really beat the plane? Have your say and follow the challenge.

Register here.