Government must think again over rail season tickets

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has called on the Government to "go back to the drawing board" after new flexible tickets went on sale aimed at commuters in England who only travel to work two or three days a week. 

The new tickets can be used for eight days in any month-long period, and form part of a larger shakeup of the railways by Ministers. 

However, Manuel Cortes urged caution, stressing that what the Government was offering was buying tickets in bulk rather the flexibility of a season ticket. 

Manuel Cortes said: 

"Our union most certainly welcomes any measures which attract more passengers onto our railways. However, these so-called flexible season tickets don't offer the same discount per journey as the long-established season tickets do. 

"Essentially this is bulk buying of tickets and, in some instances, these are more expensive than anytime tickets – which is simply short-changing passengers. Despite all the spin, people will not be fooled and nor should they be, because we want our railways to flourish as we recover from the pandemic. 

"Transport Secretary Grant Shapps must go back to the drawing board and offer proper flexible season tickets which are good value for money thus encouraging more people to use our railways."