Jasmine Birtles
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Commuter Perks: Railway Companies Try to Lure back train commuters
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe rail industry has launched a national commuter perks website to aid rail users in making the most of their train journeys to and from work.
Why were the commuter perks needed?
According to a new rail industry poll, 48% of people who work from home feel a host of negative effects, making them less motivated (33%), not being able to concentrate on one task at a time (23%) or having bad quality sleep (25%). Nearly half (48%) of people working from home during pandemic restrictions want to go back to their workplaces, post-restrictions.
Since the latest removal of restrictions, peak journeys have gone up by 5%, leading train companies to monitor their timetables in the weeks ahead, increasing the amount of trains in line with customer demand.
What Perks are on offer?
Train companies have started to introduce various incentives to support train users as they return to the office. Last June, the industry and the Department for Transport introduced the Flexi Season ticket, providing commuters with as little as 20% discount on an equivalent Monthly Season ticket if travelling during peak times 2-3 times a week.
Commuters have expressed that they would like to pick up a new skill (34%), escape with a good book (27%) or being able to meditate (27%). To make the most of this initiative, the rail industry has teamed up with the likes of FutureLearn, The Mindfulness App and a range of audiobooks, as well as offering free and discounted food and hot drinks on-the-go food brands like Pure and Greggs.
Jacqueline Starr, CEO at Rail Delivery Group, explained: “Taking the train is more than just a journey – it benefits the environment, economy and local businesses. To encourage and support commuter’s as they return, the rail industry has launched a new commuter rewards website offering free hot drinks, mindfulness, course upgrades, music streaming, audiobooks and more to help enhance customers on-train and at destination experiences.”
Spencer Craig, CEO at Pure, said: “Like most businesses that rely on the commuter market we saw our customer base drop by over 50% due to the work from home restrictions coming in to force, and rail commuters no longer coming into the city. We’re delighted to be working with the rail industry on their commuter rewards platform and look forward to welcoming customers back and providing them with delicious, nutritious meals and drinks on the go.”
The rail industry is helping people travel and book with confidence by providing better journey information about busier trains and alternative routes, boosting cleaning, ensuring carriages are well ventilated and helping them change a booked journey fee free should their circumstances change.
To sign up for some of these works and learn more, click here to read more. Other ideas to bring down the cost of your commute here.
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