For some commuters, a rise in train fareshas hit doubly hard, with shift workers including NHS staff forced to buy two separate tickets everyday. NHS nurse Alicia Arias said she had to buy one ticket to get to work for night shifts and another to return home after midnight – something she described as “expensive and unfair”. The healthcare worker from Woking has called on rail firms to introduce new “day” tickets, valid for 24 hours after issuing, in a change she said would “support thousands of NHS staff, shift workers, emergency responders and hospital support staff” who “work unsocial hours and already face enough pressure”.
In a petition that has attracted 23,846 signatures, Ms Arias likened her idea to the free travel Metropolitan Police officers are offered on the London Underground, questioning why healthcare workers can’t “at least get a fairer ticketing system”.
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“Improving commute fairness isn’t just about convenience,” the NHS nurse added. “It’s about retaining experienced healthcare staff in the NHS. These are people who care for you and your loved ones through the night, and they deserve support.”
“Research says that working night shifts shortens life expectancy, negatively affects our circadian rhythms, we can’t get a resting, deep sleep during the day, and yet we do it for our clients, for our patients, for the little extra money that comes with it. And we pay double for it.”
Regulated train fares in England and Wales rose by 4.6% in March, with the price of railcards also increasing by an average of £5.
NHS staff are currently offered discounts on advance tickets purchased through providers including Northern Rail, the TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast, when booked with Blue Light Cards.
The Rail Delivery Group and the Department for Transport have been contacted for comment.
