Commuting time on the rise in the North West

Commuters from the North West now face an average 56-minute daily journey '“ the equivalent of 26 working days a year, according to TUC analysis released to mark Work Wise UK's Commute Smart Week.

Getting to and from work now takes commuters in the North West an extra seven minutes a day compared with a decade ago – the equivalent of an extra 26 hours a year spent on congested roads and packed trains.

Nationally, commuters are facing an average daily journey of 58 minutes, up 5 minutes from a decade ago.

The number of workers facing very long commutes (over 2 hours) is up by 34 per cent.

Rail commuters face the longest journeys, taking an average of 2 hours and 12 minutes every day – an increase of four minutes on the last decade.

Drivers spend 52 minutes on the road to work and back (up by 4 minutes), while bus commuters must set aside 39 minutes a day (up by 7 minutes).

Cyclists (43 minutes) and walkers (30 minutes) have the quickest daily journeys.