Rail firm aims to lure commuters with cheaper tickets

Employers struggling to attract their staff back to the office on Mondays and Fridays may find it easier after Govia Thameslink, the UK’s largest rail company, started selling discounted tickets to encourage commuting on certain days.

With many hybrid workers only travelling to the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays workers, train firms have seen a significant loss of revenue.

Govia Thameslink said its morning peak services only carry around 210,000 passengers on Mondays, compared with between 230,000 and 250,000 on each of the middle three days of the working week. Fridays, which even before the pandemic was the quietest for commuting, are only seeing 160,000 people using services.

This has led it to offer cheaper fares on Southern services on the first and last days of the working week in the hope of encouraging passengers to change their travel patterns.

Advance tickets – which are cheaper than walk-up fares – will now be available as a trial for some services in both directions between three major London stations – Victoria, Clapham Junction and East Croydon – and stations south from Three Bridges in West Sussex. These will save commuters up to 15%, while those with railcards can save a further third.

This extends as far east as Eastbourne in East Sussex and as far west as Chichester in West Sussex.

Tickets can be bought up to 12 weeks in advance.

Govia Thameslink said a commuter living in Worthing on the south coast, travelling to London Victoria, for example, will be able to buy an advanced peak return for £56.20, compared with £66.20 for an anytime day return. But advance ticket-holders must travel on a specific service, while passengers who buy an anytime day return can board any train.

The firm is also testing a loyalty scheme that enables passengers to collect points that can be redeemed for rewards including days out, cinema tickets and coffee.

Jenny Saunders, Govia Thameslink’s customer services director, said: “We’ve seen a sea change in travel habits because of the pandemic. Mondays and Fridays are unsurprisingly less popular with our customers because they bookend the week, but our trains are quieter as a result, so we want more people to use them.”

Before the pandemic, overcrowding on Southern trains was a source of many complaints from commuters. It is thought than many who are still using the trains for work are appreciating being able to find a seat and relax on their way to work.

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