Rail passengers can benefit for the first time from a part-time season ticket under a new scheme launched today.
The Flexi-Season ticket marks a major step forward in giving part-time workers the same benefits as commuters who are regular season ticket holders.
The initiative is being introduced by National Express train operator c2c, saving some part-time workers travelling from Essex into London over £135 a year.
The Flexi-Season ticket is purchased online and loaded onto a traveller’s smartcard.
It effectively gives the individual ten trips which they can take whenever they wish to.
Each journey comes at a 5 per cent discount on the usual peak-time price of daily travel, with an additional 10 per cent reward offered if the trip is taken off-peak.
c2c Managing Director Julian Drury said: “We are really excited to launch the UK’s first season ticket specifically designed for part-time workers.
“We know that flexible working is increasingly popular and provides the work-life balance that so many commuters crave.
“This new ticket means part-time commuters can now get full-time value from their rail ticket, saving themselves time, money and hassle in future.”
Until now people travelling for part-time work two or three times a week would simply have had to buy single tickets, putting them at a disadvantage to season ticket holders.
Passengers who commute three times a week to London from Southend can save over £135 a year with the new ticket.
Those travelling three times a week from Benfleet can save nearly £125 a year and from Basildon, over £100.
The new tickets are exclusively available to c2c customers who travel from stations in Essex, outside the Oystercard area, and can be used any time within six months of purchase.
Company c2c also believes the initiative will cut queues at ticket offices, especially on Monday mornings, freeing them up for other passengers.
Ministers have been pushing for part-time tickets since 2013, but their arrival now helps the Conservatives meet a manifesto pledge to encourage more flexible travel.
Rail Minister Claire Perry said it is “great news for passengers”.
The government has already invested millions of pounds in Oystercard-style smart ticket systems in the south east.
Hailing the advance which has allowed for a greater variety of ticket options, she said: “I am delighted to see c2c have built on this success and have taken up our challenge to develop innovative ideas that meet customers’ needs, saving them money.”
