The new tickets will allow passengers to travel on certain routes two to three days a week and save hundreds of pounds each year.
It comes after the government established a public body called Great British Railways (GBR), which sets rates and schedules for services across the country, sells tickets, and manages rail infrastructure.
The analysis shows that a traveler who buys a flexible two-day-a-week ticket to travel between York and Leeds, rather than daily tickets, can save more than £ 210 a year.
Travelers traveling two days a week could also save over £ 260 traveling from Woking to London, £ 230 from Liverpool to Manchester and £ 170 from Stafford to Birmingham.
The flexible paperless tickets, which are on sale now and can be used starting June 28, will allow travel in eight days in a 28-day period.
The Transportation Department said it cannot provide a list of all routes for which flexible tickets can be purchased, but passengers can use an online season ticket calculator.
Tim Wood, Acting Executive Director of Transport for the North said: “Today’s launch of flex tickets is an important step toward the recovery of the railroad.
“A rail sector with the agility to respond to passenger needs is essential if we are to promote sustainable travel and persuade people to move from cars to train for their daily commutes.
“This initiative should be part of a series of measures designed to offer value for money and engage people who would otherwise lose from the railroad. A flexible discounted ticket offering is clearly a move in the right direction.”
The introduction of flexible tickets comes amid changes in travel patterns due to the coronavirus pandemic, and an increase in home work has led to a large decline in the number of people traveling by train, particularly those who they travel five days a week.
Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Our railroads work best when they are reliable, fast and affordable.
“As we begin the biggest renovations to our railways in a generation, flexible season tickets are the first step. They give us more freedom and choice in how we travel, simpler ticketing, and a fairer fare.
“With a season ticket calculator to see which option works best for you, and a trusted book for stress-free travel, the future of fares is flexible.”
The rail franchises effectively ended when the government took over financial responsibilities for operators in March 2020 to keep services running amid collapsing demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic, at a cost of £ 12bn.
The emergency agreements will be replaced by passenger service contracts, and GBR will contract private companies to operate trains.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-21 23:38:14
