Tuesday, June 22, 2021
England has introduced new rail tickets, designed to match evolving working habits, for to commuters across the nation. They are aimed at commuters who only travel to work two or three days a week.
The paperless tickets will allow travel on any eight days in a 28-day period, with passengers able to tap smartcards or scan mobiles at the station with no need to select the days of travel in advance. The change has the potential to save commuters hundreds of pounds.
The launch of flexible season tickets is the first step in the reform of the railways, as part of the recently launched Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail. Commuters can visit an updated online ‘season ticket calculator,’ which will point people to the best tickets for them based on their journey.
To encourage more passengers to travel by rail, for the rest of this year, train companies will also offer a book with confidence guarantee, allowing people to rebook journeys or receive rail vouchers without an admin fee if their plans change. The new offer reflects the long-term decline in the use of traditional season tickets, with a change in working practices having been accelerated by the outbreak of Covid-19.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, said in a statement that railways work best when they are reliable, rapid and affordable. He shared that flexible season tickets are the first step to reform railways in a generation. He mentioned that it gives travellers greater freedom and choice about how they travel, simpler ticketing and a fairer fare.
