The rail pass scheme that gives you the most bang for your buck

Flexi rail tickets are designed to offer a cheaper alternative for commuters splitting their time between the office and home.

However, according to the Association of British Commuters they are a “poor value, inflexible and high-risk purchase” which fail to help a large number of hybrid workers.

Here, Telegraph Money delves into the flexi rail pass scheme, and compares prices to the more traditional season tickets.

How do flexi train tickets work?

A flexi season ticket provides customers with eight days of travel in 28 days between two named stations.

A flexi pass allows travellers to make unlimited journeys (on eight random days in a 28-day period) between the two stations, or between any station on their permitted route, until 04.29 AM the following day.

The overall price will offer a minimum 20pc discount on the cost of an equivalent monthly season ticket, yet when broken down day-by-day, it is likely to be more expensive – more on this later.

The tickets, which are not available in paper form, come as either a “smart card”, similar to the Oyster card used in London, or a barcode ticket for mobile phone users.

Unlike standard season tickets, flexi tickets are not available in first-class or for children.

The cost is fixed regardless of the time of travel, so even if you travel off-peak on all eight days, you will be paying the same price as someone travelling at peak time. This is the case for all types of season tickets.

After 28 days, any unused passes will expire. Figures released by the Government last year show that 65pc of customers made use of the full eight-day allowance, while 15pc used five days or fewer.

Who are flexi tickets aimed at?

Flexi tickets are predominantly aimed at commuters working in the office two days a week.

But with fears that working from home has reduced productivity, government ministers have been trying to pressure Whitehall staff back into the office at least 60pc of the time, or three days a week for full-time staff.

In November last year, Rishi Sunak ordered civil servants back to the office for at least three days, while Bank of America, one of the world’s biggest lenders, sent out “letters of education” threatening staff with disciplinary action if they fail to meet minimum office attendance.

As a result, an increasing number of people are now working at least three days a week in the office. Yet the parameters of flexi tickets mean that, for most, the eight-days-per-month pass does not make financial sense.

This is because a hybrid worker spending three days in the office will need to commute 12 times each month, yet the flexi pass only caters for eight days of travel.

Emily Yates, of the Association of British Commuters, says the rigidity of the scheme is a “pricing trap for the captive commuter market, probably designed to upsell passengers back to traditional season tickets”.

She added: “Because there is no price capping, passengers can end up spending much more than if they bought a monthly or weekly ticket.”

No changes to flexi passes under consideration

The Department for Transport, which introduced the flexi ticketing system in June 2021, has defended the scheme.

A spokesman said: “Flexible season tickets provide a minimum 20pc discount compared to a monthly season ticket, and 86pc of passengers we surveyed agreed that it saved them money.

“We continuously work to ensure passengers get fairly priced tickets which is why we once again intervened to cap this year’s rail fare increase well below the RPI figure they’re based on, which at 4.9pc was well below the 8.7pc rise seen in Scotland.”

Results of a 12-month review of the scheme, published last year, explored how ticket uptake would increase if the number of day passes increased to 12.

It reads: “Passengers would like to see more flexibility in the product, such as by obtaining refunds for unused tickets, rolling over unused passes, having an off-peak product or being able to freeze the product for a short period of time.

“Ensuring the product offers a higher discount may also result in higher uptake, as could increasing the number of day passes available from eight to 12.”

The report, however, concedes that this would “have revenue implications”.

Meanwhile, the Rail Delivery Group, which represents Britain’s train operators, suggests new ticket types are required to suit hybrid needs.

“We know that people’s working patterns have changed since the pandemic and because of that new ticket types are needed,” a spokesman said.

“Flexi season ticket is one of many products offered by train operators that can provide a better value-for-money alternative for many people choosing to work from home more and meet today’s travellers’ needs.”

Comparing flexi tickets against other season passes

For those commuting two days per week, flexi passes do come up trumps. Yet for those who may need to go in the odd couple of days extra within the month, they could be better off paying full whack for a monthly pass.

For example, there is only a £131.20 difference between a flexi fare and monthly pass for a commuter travelling from Reading to London. Considering the former only grants you eight days of travel, and the latter grants a full month’s worth, the price gap is vast.

A flexi ticket (£406.40) costs the equivalent of £50.80 per day, while a monthly ticket (£537.60) costs less than half of that price, at £24.83 per day. It means two-day per week commuters would only need a few extra trips for a full monthly season ticket to be more cost-effective.

A greater disparity emerges when flexi passes are pitted against weekly ones.

Essentially, a weekly pass can be used for seven days (although this would be rare for a commuter) and a flexi pass for eight a month. Therefore, when breaking down the numbers, a flexi pass for Reading to London costs £266.30 more for only one extra day of travel.

There is no doubt that for those in the office five days a week, an annual pass is best value as it guarantees 52 weeks of travel at the price of 40.

How flexi tickets can be more expensive

Below are further examples of commuter journeys where, on average, flexi fares prove to be the most expensive by quite some margin:

Can I get a flexi ticket refund?

National Rail says that if you have travelled less than expected, you can claim a refund. This will need to happen during the 28-day window the ticket is valid for.

Refunds are calculated from the difference between the price of your flexi ticket and the cost of an anytime return ticket for each day you have used.

You will need to pay an administration fee, likely £10, and if you only have one or two journeys left on your flex ticket, a refund might not be available.

If you realise midway through use that a full monthly or annual pass will suit your needs, you can’t exchange your flexi ticket. Rail operators recommend using up your eight days of travel before then purchasing a season ticket.

Can I get a discount on flexi rail tickets?

Most likely not. As with annual passes, the overwhelming majority of people can’t get a discount. For instance, the 18-25 or 26-30 railcards used commonly on daily tickets are not valid. Almost everyone has to pay the full price.

Only JobCentre Plus and 16-17 Saver cardholders are able to get half price discounts on their flexi season ticket.

Can I get compensation for delays or strike action?

Delays and strike action are common on the rail network, and thankfully flexi ticket users can claim for compensation under the Delay Repay scheme.

You are entitled to 50pc of your ticket price if your arrival is between 30 and 60 minutes late and a full refund if you arrive more than an hour late. Some operators such as Southeastern offer compensation for delays of 15 minutes.

For flexi passholders to receive Delay Repay compensation, you must activate a pass for the day you’re claiming. So, if you planned to travel on a strike day but can’t, you’ll still need to activate a pass, as this will make you eligible for a refund.

It may seem strange to activate a pass for a day you know you won’t be travelling on, but if you don’t, you will not receive compensation.