New 'flexible' rail tickets that match post-pandemic working habits have gone on sale today (21/6).
These season tickets have been released by the Government as more people are splitting their time between working at home and in the office.
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.
🎟️ Flexible season tickets have launched today and are on sale now, to be used from 28th June
— Ben Everitt (@Ben_Everitt) June 21, 2021
🚆 The tickets could help 2-3 day a week passengers save hundreds of pounds on their commutehttps://t.co/THBWVOBLMd pic.twitter.com/m94NijweRP
And to encourage more passengers to travel by rail, for the rest of this year (until 31 December 2021), 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.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "Our railways work best when they are reliable, rapid and affordable.
"As we kickstart the biggest reforms to our railways in a generation, flexible season tickets are the first step. They give us greater freedom and choice about how we travel, simpler ticketing and a fairer fare."
This new national offer also 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 coronavirus (COVID-19).
