The new pricing regime for commuters who plan to work part of their week in the office and partly at home isn’t necessarily going to save them money.

A different sort of season ticket arrangement has been mooted since companies had to embrace home working when the Coronavirus restrictions hit, with the idea that regular commuters can buy tickets that allow them to travel for a proportion of their time.

But the Telegraph reports that it’s seen the plans drawn up for commuters and that on key routes, it would be cheaper to buy a standard monthly season ticket than travel three days a week using the new flexible system.

The report says that under the proposals, rail firms will roll out French-style “carnet tickets” which will allow passengers to complete five return journeys in any single month at a discount of 15% to peak fares.

A passenger planning to commute for one day a week for a month could buy one of these tickets under the proposals. If a commuter wanted to travel in twice or three times a week, they would buy additional carnets.

While a three-day-a-week traveller would be worse off than if they bought a full season, a two-day-a-week commuter would pay only 30% less than if they bought a five-day, full-month season ticket – even though they would only travel for ten days a month.

The Telegraph says the pricing has been designed in order to reduce the impact on the taxpayer. It is expected to be rolled out across the rail network in June.

(Picture – Yay Images)