Flexi Season tickets

What is a Flexi Season ticket?

A Flexi Season ticket provides customers with 8 days of travel in 28 days - any time between two named stations.

The 8 days of travel doesn’t need to be specified in advance, giving part-time commuters more flexibility to travel when they want and need.

Flexi Season tickets are available as either a Smartcard or Barcode ticket. If you don’t have a Smartcard then please allow plenty of time to get one before you travel - they can take up to 5 days to arrive by post. Request a Smartcard here.

You will need to activate a day pass within your ticket before you travel.

When will Flexi Season tickets be available to buy?

The new flexible ticket are now on sale.

Why are Flexi Season tickets not available on every route?

We used research to ensure that Flexi Season tickets would be available on the vast majority of routes used by commuters. We appreciate your interest in purchasing a Flexi Season ticket on your route and will consider this as we develop these products future in the future.

Is a Flexi Season ticket the same as a Season ticket?

A Flexi Season ticket is a new, more flexible, kind of season ticket that allows 8 days of travel in 28 days with unlimited travel, from the time you activate your day pass until 04:29 the next morning, between two stations each day that it is used. It’s great for commuters travelling during peak times 2-3 days a week, Monday to Friday, as it offers an alternative to a traditional five-day a week season ticket.

How do Flexi Season and other Season tickets vary?

Season tickets are available in First Class and Child options, while Flexi comes in standard class only as it is aimed at commuters travelling during peak-times, Monday to Friday, 2-3 days a week.

How much can I save with a Flexi Season ticket?

Check out our commuter ticket tool to discover the cost saving of a Flexi season ticket on your route and to help you understand the most suitable ticket for your journey.

Can a Flexi Season ticket be used on multiple operators?

Yes, unless it is for a specified operator or route. If it is this will be stated at time of purchase.

Can I buy more than one Flexi Season ticket?

Yes. However, if you have a Flexi Season ticket on your smartcard, we recommend you wait until after you've used all 8 days of travel on your active Flexi Season ticket before buying a new one.

If you need to buy another Flexi Season ticket before you've finished using your active ticket, please make sure the start date of your next Flexi Season ticket commences after the date you intend to use your last day of travel. This is to avoid starting your new ticket before you’ve used all 8 days of travel on your active ticket. 

How can I buy a Flexi Season ticket?

You can purchase a Flexi Season ticket on the Northern website or mobile app, or you can purchase the Smartcard variant at any Northern ticket office. Flexi Season tickets will be available as either a Smartcard or Barcode ticket with Northern.

If purchasing via the website, please select "advanced search" and "Flexi Season" will display under ticket type.

Smartcard - If you have a Smartcard, you can buy your Flexi Season ticket online and add it to your Smartcard when you get to the station by ‘touching in’ on the yellow reader on the gate, platform validator, or in some cases the self-service ticket machine. You can also collect it via the Northern app. Make sure you do this before you travel.

If you don’t have a Smartcard then please allow plenty of time to get one before you travel - they can take up to 5 days to arrive by post.

Barcode – You can buy a Flexi Season ticket as a Barcode ticket (where available) via the Northern website or app. This will either be delivered as a pdf document attached to an email, which can be stored in your phone wallet, or it will be delivered to your app and stored there.

Can I buy an off-peak Flexi Season ticket?

No, but Flexi Season tickets can be used for travel during peak and off-peak periods. Flexi tickets are aimed at commuters making the same journey 2 –3 times a week during peak times.

Can I buy a child Flexi Season ticket?

No

What happens if I don’t make all eight journeys in 28 days?

If you lose or forget your Smartcard or Flexi Season ticket you will need to purchase a new ticket in order to make your journey. Contact the retailer of your Flexi Season for more information.

If you have a Flexi ticket downloaded onto your phone via a Smartcard app, you can download the app on to a new device and still access your account, including your tickets.

Can I travel to any station with my Flexi Season ticket?

With a Flexi Season ticket you can make unlimited journeys between your named start and end stations. You can also break, start or end your journey at any station on your permitted route. Your day pass will be valid from the time you activate it until 04:29 the next morning.

Can you use a Flexi Season ticket on any train operator?

In most cases you can use any operator between your start and end stations. Flexi Seasons are not valid for travel on Merseyrail services. Tickets to Liverpool stations, will be available for sale, but will not be allowed for onward travel on Merseyrail services.

If your Flexi Season ticket is only valid on one operator but you wish to travel with a different one then you will need to buy a new ticket for your journey.

If your Flexi Season ticket is restricted to a particular to route you can change the route it covers and pay the difference in fare.

How much does a Flexi Season ticket cost?

A Flexi Season ticket is a form of Season Ticket and comparing a Flexi Season ticket with the equivalent Monthly Season ticket, the minimum discount will be 20%. Use our Commuter ticket finder to discover the precise discount on your journey: northernrailway.co.uk/flexi

How much is a Flexi Season ticket compared to a Season ticket?

A Flexi Season ticket is great for helping you save money if you’re commuting during peak-times at least two days a week.

Check out our commuter ticket tool to discover the cost saving of a Flexi Season ticket on your route and to help you understand the most suitable ticket for your journey.

Can you get a refund on a Flexi Season ticket?

A refund is calculated from the difference between the price you paid for the Flexi Season and the cost of an Anytime return ticket for each day you have used, minus an administration fee of no more than £10. If you only have one or two journeys left on your Flexi Season you may find that no refund is available.

If I buy a Flexi Season ticket and only take a couple of journeys can I get the remaining journeys refunded?

You must apply for a refund from your retailer before the end of the 28-validity period. The refund will be calculated based on the price of an Anytime return ticket for the journey your Flexi Season is valid for, the number of travel days used within the ticket's validity minus the administration fee.

Can I claim under the Delay Repay scheme?

Yes, do so here. Your rights under delay repay are exactly the same. In the event that you activate a day's worth of travel and choose not to travel at the last minute in the event of train delays, you are eligible for Delay Repay.

How does the cost of a Flexi Season compare with Season and Anytime fares?

The cost of a Flexi Season varies but will ultimately be cheaper for most customers who travel during peak-times at least twice a week.

I bought a Flexi Season but am going to have to go to the office more than I realised, can I exchange my Flexi Season for a Season Ticket?

You can’t exchange a Flexi Season so, if you’ve already been using your Flexi Season ticket our recommendation would be to use up your eight journeys and purchase a Season Ticket once you’ve used all your journeys. Alternatively, you can request a refund less the admin fee and purchase a Season ticket.

Can you get a discount on a Flexi Season ticket using a Railcard?

16-17 Saver and Job Centre Plus Travel Discount Card holders will be able to get 50% off their Flexi Season ticket but no other Railcard or group discounts will apply.

Can I use my Disabled Persons Railcard for discount on a Flexi Season?

Railcards cannot be used to get discounts on Season or Flexi Season tickets as they are already heavily discounted tickets.

I was sick so didn’t use my Flexi Season this month, can I get a refund?

If you were sick and couldn’t use your Flexi Season ticket you must apply for a refund before the end of the 28-Day validity period. There must be a minimum of one unused journey left to refund and a £10 admin fee will apply. If you can provide evidence that you were not able to apply for a refund because of illness (such as a doctor’s note), we will still consider your refund application after the expiry date.

Can I use Flexi Seasons on Merseyrail services?

Flexi Season tickets are not valid for travel on Merseyrail services. Tickets to Liverpool stations, will be available for sale, but will not be allowed for onward travel on Merseyrail services.

How do I travel with my Flexi Season ticket?

Smartcard customers must tap-in and tap-out at the ticket barrier or a platform validator at either end of your journey to activate your Flexi Season ticket. Customers with the Barcode Flexi Season ticket must activate the ticket before each journey using the Northern app - more information to follow.

Failure to do so could result in a penalty fare. A customer boarding a train without tapping in first is considered to not have a valid ticket. 

How do I load/collect the Flexi Season ticket I have just purchased to a Smartcard?

Use the Northern app for rapid collection to your card, available 5 minutes after purchase. Alternatively, please allow up to 2 hours to load the tickets to your card at the ticket gates or Northern ticket machine at your nearest station.

What should I do if the ticket barriers are out of order?

Please tap-in and tap-out as if using the Flexi Season ticket on a Smartcard as normal even if the ticket gates are forced open. Northern colleagues will also be on hand to help.

How can I tell how many tickets are left in my bundle?

If using a Smartcard you can do so by logging in to MyAccount, using the orange (NFC) card reader on the Northern app or at a ticket machine. Barcode season ticket customers can check their balance in the Northern app. 

We are working with Merseyrail and industry bodies to enhance this going forward but in interim, please inform customers of restriction

What do I do if I have problems with my Smart card or loading a ticket?

If you encounter an issue with your card or Smart season ticket call our Customer Experience Centre on 0333 2220127. Station colleagues should also be on hand to help.

To help us with your enquiry please have ready:

• Times/dates 
• Any transaction references and error messages
• Your 18-digit Smart card number (on the front of the card)
• The product you are trying to load