The train company is trying to encourage people to commute into the office again on Mondays and Fridays (Picture: PA)
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is offering commuters cheaper advanced tickets in a bid to lure them back to the office.
The railway company like many others is feeling the pinch and impact from the pandemic.
On a typical Monday, GTR sees 210,000 passengers use its services compared to between 230,000 to 250,000 mid-week.
On Friday, the figure drops to 160,000 and they hope the lure of cheaper train tickets will entice people back in five days a week.
Trials for the scheme are happening between Victoria, Clapham Junction and East Croydon stations, and those south of Three Bridges and West Sussex.
They are also trialing a loyalty scheme for people to collect points that can be redeemed for rewards such as days out, cinema tickets and coffee.
Advance tickets are usually only available for off-peak services to cater for leisure passengers and are cheaper than walk-up fares.
The chief executive of Network Rail, Andrew Haines, warned last year hybrid working had blown a £2 billion hole into the industry’s finances.
Govia Thameslink Railway also run Southern, Gatwick Express and Great Northern services (Picture: PA)
Despite scenes like this at rush hour, Govia Thameslink wants more commuters travelling on Mondays and Fridays (Picture: PA)
GTR customer services director Jenny Saunders 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.
‘Lower ticket prices, coupled with Southern’s new loyalty rewards scheme, will encourage people back to rail at times when we have more space on board, and they’ll help with the rising cost of living.
‘We really hope both trials will be a success.’
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