To be fair to Southern Railway, there were very few spaces available for a trial with huge appeal, as a flexible season ticket could mean only paying for the days you actually travel, with the possibility of carrying un-used tickets over from week to week.

This would be of huge benefit to many in Brighton and Hove, as this kind of flexibility reflects the realities of modern working life.

It would help reduce the impact of fares on household budgets that are already over-stretched.

In particular, it would be of benefit to the many parents for whom childcare commitments mean that part-time work is preferable, but for whom the cost of travel may prohibit a move towards such employment.

All is not lost however, as local commuters may yet have an opportunity to participate in a similar pilot, this time run by the Department of Transport, which will trial flexible tickets on a commuter route into London later this year.

I talked about this trial in a blog last year ("Rail meeting; and wider questions", 27 September), as I’m aware that any initiative to make train travel more affordable will be of great interest to many in Brighton and Hove.

Last summer and autumn I was regularly at Brighton station, collecting signatures for my Parliamentary petition on rail services.

From speaking to people then, and from correspondence from constituents, I’m keenly aware of the importance of pursuing better quality and more affordable rail services.

I emphasised this in a letter in September last year to then Minister of Transport Norman Baker, when I wrote to highlight the benefits that flexible ticketing could bring to part-time workers in my constituency.

The route for the Department of Transport’s trial is yet to be chosen: it’s up to the train companies to bid for their routes to be considered, so I’ve written to Southern urging them to do this, and have consistently raised with them the importance of more ticketing options for local commuters.

Following the swift closure of applications to the company’s own flexible ticket trial, I’ve contacted Southern again, saying that I’d like to see my constituents have the opportunity to take part in the Department of Transport trial.

Such a pilot scheme would hopefully make more affordable rail travel more accessible to people in Brighton and Hove.

If you’re a Brighton commuter who would benefit from flexible ticketing, then please contact Southern about this too – and let me know how you get on!