Hitchin MP Bim Afolami has written to the government's transport secretary demanding more flexible, cost-effective fares for returning commuters.

Prior to the Covid crisis, the town of Hitchin and surrounding areas in north Herts provided a large number of commuters for the journey to London - with capital-bound workers boarding busy rushour trains to Kings Cross, The City and Blackfriars.

However, since the pandemic, the number of people using trains to London from Hitchin has fallen drastically.

Many commuters are now preferring to work from home, while also saving hard-earned cash by not having to fork out on expensive rail tickets.

This has prompted a new normal to emerge, marked by rushour carriages carrying barely any passengers.

With a peak daily return ticket from Hitchin to anywhere on the London underground zone 1-6 in the post-lockdown era now costing a whopping £33, frustrated commuters are preferring to vote with their feet in abandoning the service in their droves.

Mr Afolami said: "I have written to the transport secretary to call for his endorsement of a three-day season ticket.

"With trains from Harpenden and Hitchin stations running with an unusually comfortable 20 per cent passenger load at peak time, it is clear that there is a fundamental need for ticketing to adapt to new commuting trends and flexible working."

He added: "There is an ideal opportunity for the Department of Transport to support commuters returning to work by responding to the change in work patterns with a new, flexible ticketing system.

"As commuters and employers make longer term decisions about returning to the workplace, it would be extremely encouraging to have cost-effective, flexible options available."

Train ticket prices examined

For the purposes of this report, Nub News examined the costs of travelling from Hitchin to London at peak times.

We were quoted a price of £104.50 for a weekly standard ticket, while a monthly equivalent cost £401.30.

In an unscientific comparison we were quoted a price of only £127 by easyJet to fly from Luton to Tel Aviv - more than 3,000 miles away.

For an annual season ticket between Hitchin and London terminals - not including travel anywhere on the tube - the cost is an eye-watering £4,180 - more than a four per cent deposit on a £100k mortgage.

The current inflexible prices and structure for rail tickets appear to be unsustainable in the long run, certainly in our post-lockdown world.

More flexibility required

In the letter sent by Mr Afolami to transport secretary Grant Shapps, seen by Nub News, the Hitchin MP called for increased fluidity in pricing.

Mr Afolami explained: "A number of my constituents have indicated a desire to return to their workplaces in London, at least part-time.

"Govia Thameslink Railway's data shows an increase in the number of off-peak fares purchased, yet the use of weekly and monthly purchases have stagnated since lockdown was lifted.

"There is a clear and demonstrable appetite for a more flexible option with an economical fare structure which would cater to those currently deciding what their future work patterns will look like."

The service from Hitchin to London

While investment in infrastructure has been forthcoming - including a fifth platform at Stevenage railway station - many commuters still recall the hugely embarrassing debacle of the operator having to scrap its new timetable in 2018 following its notorious 'meltdown Monday' which saw more than 300 train services cancelled in a single day.

A Department of Transport report on overcrowding and rail passenger numbers released last summer revealed nearly 20 per cent of commuters - many with expensive rail season tickets costing thousands of pounds annually - were forced to stand in rushour journeys to London including from Hitchin.

Yet, since lockdown passenger numbers have fallen drastically - reflected in empty trains.

With PM Boris Johnson urging people to go back to work with the caveat 'if it is safe to do so', many previously hard-pressed commuters who have relished a better work/life balance without the daily commute to London during lockdown - and who are also saving themselves money by not having to fork out expensive weekly and monthly tickets to the capital - are still reluctant to let the train take the strain.

And that's without factoring in health fears over offices that may not meet safety standards to deter the spread of Covid - leaving many commuters reluctant to heed the government's advice.

Mr Afolami added in his letter to Mr Schapps asking for change: "I hope you will join the chorus of support for this measure by voicing your public endorsement for smart, flexible and cost-saving ticketing.

"I hope that the department and rail service providers such as GTR can offer pragmatic options swiftly to adapt to the changing needs of country's commuting workforce."

Rail fare hike set to heap more misery on commuters

With rail fares set to jump a further 1.6 per cent in January - further adding around £100 to the cost of many annual season tickets - hard-pressed commuters face more misery from rail companies.

The RMT union oppose ticket rises and have stated that rail fares could be cut by 5 per cent if funds that were paid to private operators during the coronavirus crisis were diverted to subsidising train tickets.

Recently, the government has suspended franchises and underwritten losses on railways, where passenger numbers remain stubbornly below 25 per cent of pre-Covid levels.

The passenger watchdog, Transport Focus, has consistently demanded cut-price deals to incentivise people to return to using railways and joined the RMT and others in asking for new season tickets for part-time commuters to reflect new post-lockdown working patterns to ensure rail travel becomes viable and affordable.

Did you know:

Prior to trains coming to Hitchin in 1850, the focus was on the wool trade with the town acting as an important staging post between London and the north.

The railway brought further prosperity which transformed Hitchin into an important centre for buying and selling grain - with the centrepoint of activity being the Corn Exchange in Market Place.