Fact Service August 2020

Issue 33

Report makes case for flexible season tickets

With rail fare rises now to be set at 1.6% from January in line with the latest RPI figure (see page 129), the RMT has released a report showing how the introduction of more flexible season tickets could save commuters money and better reflect current and future work patterns.

The union is using the report, Flex appeal – a simple national flexible ticketing scheme for our railway, to support its call to government to implement a new scheme. The report lays out the potential savings to passengers if annual season tickets were introduced that were valid for two, three or four days a week, rather than seven days, as now.

For example, a Brighton to London Terminals season ticket currently costs £4,580 a year, while a pro-rata three day a week flexible season would be £2,748.

RMT senior assistant general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The government must rebuild passenger confidence and encourage passengers back to the railway by giving them what they want: flexible ticketing that’s good value and suits their needs as part of the Covid-19 recovery.”

https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-report-supports-introduction-of-flexible-season-tickets