Southeastern is offering customers in parts of Kent and East Sussex the chance to buy a discounted Flexi Season tickets until April 2023 as part of a trial that will help develop more flexible tickets which match the way commuting patterns have changed in recent years.
Flexi Season tickets prove very popular where they offer value for money to customers who want to travel two or three times a week giving hybrid workers more choice in when they commute: according to the Office for National Statistics, almost a quarter of the working population (24%) now work to a hybrid model, splitting their working location between home and their employers’ premises.
The trial, undertaken in collaboration with the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT), lasts until 2 April 2023 and means that customers in Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone, Hastings and Margate among many other locations will check if a Flexi Season suits them too.
Flexi Seasons offer 8 day passes in any 28-day period with a guaranteed minimum discount to a monthly season of 20%. Customers can choose the days they travel right when they arrive at the station and can travel any time (including Peak) on their chosen route. During the trial, that discount is enhanced, as Southeastern and GBRTT seek to encourage more passengers back to rail travel.
The trial is part of government plans to improve customers’ experience of rail, as set out in the 2023 Bradshaw Address.
Flexi Season tickets have proved to be very popular since they were introduced in 2021 and the initial results of the trial show even more customers are choosing them now as they suit new travel habit. Southeastern along with the rest of the rail industry is working hard to ensure customers across London and Kent can benefit from this kind of ticket in the future.
During the promotion, Flexi Season tickets can be bought at promotional rates until 2nd April and used for travel until 30 April 2023, subject to validity.
As examples of the discount valid all day on return trips:
- A Flexi Season from Hastings to London Terminals costs £41.15 per pass – 45 per cent cheaper than eight equivalent Anytime Day Return tickets
- A Flexi Season from Folkestone Central or Folkestone West to the same destination costs £43.41 per pass – 40 per cent cheaper than the same number of Anytime Day Returns.
- A Flexi Season from Canterbury West to London Terminals (including High Speed) can work out at £51.83 per pass – 38 per cent cheaper than the Anytime Day Returns.
Alicia Andrews, Commercial Director at Southeastern said:
“Since the pandemic, commuting patterns have changed and we know people across our route are having to make their money go further.
“For those commuting two or three days a week, our Flexi Seasons will offer better value for money and convenience to travel at any time right across all our network as well as flexibility to match the way people want to work now.”
Suzanne Donnelly, Director of Passenger Revenue at the Great British Railways Transition Team, said:
“We’re working with the rail industry and Department for Transport to simplify fares and develop new products that better match how our customers are living and working today.
“Times have changed, so pilots like the Southeastern Flexi Season ticket are important for testing new approaches and gathering real insights to improve rail products across the country. Ultimately, we want to inspire more people to take the train more often.”
