One of the pleasures of being a regular commuter in the past was travelling on a Friday.

There were two reasons for enjoying travelling by train at the end of the traditional working week.

One was because the trains were generally emptier so it was always possible to have a seat for the journey. This was pre-pandemic when some people were already working a four-day week or regularly working from home on a Friday.

And the second was to observe the attire of those people who were still heading to their office. It was clear that many workplaces had a “dress down Friday”. Those people who had worn their smart office clothes on Monday to Thursday were now struggling with what to wear on these Fridays. Some men chose to continue to wear their smart shirt but ditched the suit trousers in favour of jeans or chinos while others went for the polo shirt or sweatshirt. Then, of course, there’s the problem of footwear: smart shoes or trainers?

It always fascinated me, as someone who wore the same style on every working day, how uncomfortable these people looked as they headed to their workplace on Fridays.

All of this brings me to the point of this post which is the increase in Friday travel.

It has been well documented that many people who have returned to their physical workplace in recent months have been doing so for three days a week – with train operaters noticing the higher passenger numbers on the mid-week days of Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays compared with Mondays and Fridays.

But the latest figures from the Department for Transport suggest rail use on Fridays is now at or above the levels seen on Thursdays.

It is encouraging to see a more even distribution of passenger numbers across the week. It allows for a more regular timetable and caters for both commuters and leisure travellers.

And the added factor is that more people travelling means more revenue for the train operators who have lost huge sums over the last two years with the dramatic drop in rail users.

Covid-related absences continue to cause problems with services cancelled and timetables stripped to levels which provide some semblance of reliability.

But there is hope on the horizon and cause for optimism that the pleasures of train travel are on offer once again – whatever you choose to wear for your journey!