Posted 28th June 2021 | 4 Comments

Lack-lustre reception for part time 'seasons'

NEW part time tickets for commuters have become usable today, after going on sale a week ago.

The 'flexi seasons' offer eight days' travel over a validity period of 28 days, but the relatively small savings over using Anytime returns have caused disappointment.

A monthly ticket from Reading offers a discount of 23 per cent on Anytime returns, assuming that the holder makes five return journeys a week. If there are two journeys a week on flexible tickets, the discount falls to 12.5 per cent. A monthly ticket is better value if three days are travelled each week.

Norman Baker from the Campaign for Better Transport was a Liberal Democrat transport minister in the 2010-2015 coalition government. He said: ‘Finally, after years of campaigning people who commute part time are being offered an alternative to full-time season tickets. Unfortunately, these new flexible tickets do not appear to offer the kind of savings we had hoped for and are not comparable to the discounts for people commuting full time. There appears to be no standard level of discount and in some cases the flexible season ticket could end up being more expensive than the day return option. 

‘The projected growth in hybrid working has made this an urgent issue and to avoid an increase in commuting by car we need to encourage people back on board trains. The test will be whether the level of discounts offered will entice people on to rail. Sadly, we don't think these will, except at the margins, so this could turn out to be a real missed opportunity.’

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • Steve Alston, Crewe

    My solution to the current fares mess is -

    - Mileage based fares, a government set rate per mile England & beyond.
    - Pre 9am Mon-Fri is peak, otherwise not.
    - Extend the Flexi Season Carnets purchases to 12 months, minimum purchase 10, max purchase unlimited.
    - All flexi season tickets to be digital - ban paper - (pencil) fraud already found
    - Ban all single operator tickets XC AWC EC HIGHSPEED ONLY etc
    - Replace those with further advance - inflexible type tickets
    - Rename advance to ONE TRAIN ONLY to clarify it's ticket type, no changes no refunds, valid on next train only if cancelled.
    - Remove first class on non-intercity services (ie only retain GWR long distance, LNER, AWC, EMRs mml, XC, GA's long distance) - ditch it on the rest etc, mostly underused or empty.
    - Ban any middle class (standard premium et al) re-standard class it all cheaply.
    - Free half fare railcards to under 18s with expiry of 18th birthday.
    - Totally remove digital railcards, screenshot fraud is rife
    - Remove all M-tickets, standardise to a single exact PDF e-ticket type.
    - UK Penalty fare £50+fare if paid within 7 days
    and -
    - Keep fares low by a major joined up crackdown on evasion, demanding the involvement of all BTP to keep funding coming in for both themselves & the wider railway. Last chance saloon for a minority BTP, who consider themselves above dealing with ticket fraud - the very money which actually funds them.

  • Andrew Gwilt, Benfleet Essex

    Why not introduce a RailCard for people over 18 who have special needs but are not disabled ie-Autism, Downs Syndrome etc. Instead of having a Disabled Railcard. And to use it across the UK with no additional costs and charges.

  • Michael, Reading

    Because they are Not a bargain.
    They are only marginally less than if purchased a travel at any time 356 days per year.
    IF they were to be created Properly, they would be priced as the cost of an annual season ticket divided by 5 days per week times 52 weeks.
    Annual season ticket / 210 = the what should be daily fare.

  • John Porter, Kettering

    When British Rail was privatised, season ticket prices remained controlled by the government and Anytime tickets were allowed to find their own level. Twenty years later we have the anomaly that if you travel as little as twice a week a 7 day season ticket is often the best option for journeys to London. For example, from Kettering a 7 day season offers a discount of 15% compared with TWO Anytime returns.

    The discount is bigger if you always use London Underground or London buses OR travel THREE times a week. A monthly season covers 4.3 weeks and costs 4% less than FOUR Weeklies - a 23% discount compared with NINE Anytime returns.

    The new Flexi-tickets from Kettering offer EIGHT journeys at £73.22 each - a 39% discount compared with EIGHT Anytime returns, but if only FIVE are likely to be used those part time commuters are often better off buying a series of 7 day seasons before holidays and buying a flexi-ticket on their return.

    7 day seasons (often called weeklies) can start on any day of the week and can be bought the night before. If you can juggle the days you work, TWO SEVEN DAY TICKETS CAN COVER THREE WEEKS OF THREE working DAYS. For example Tuesday# to Thursday# in week 1, Monday#, Thursday** & Friday** in week 2 and Monday** to Wednesday** in week 3 at a cost of £42.50 per day (or £48.50 including Tube etc). The first 7 day season covers the # journeys and the second covers the ** journeys.

    It's not surprising that the sale of new part time discounted tickets has been limited.