See the rest of my reply for , perhaps, slightly more on topic points
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I find my 3x per week 1 hour commutes don’t detract from a low volume plan, so I don’t see any downside in continuing them. But, in addition to me being at ‘low volume,’ I have about 3/4 of the distance on a MUP and only the last 1/4 is a series of lights and stop signs, which allows me to keep it truly zone 2 most of the time (at least when I pay attention). I’m certain that the added volume is helping me.
For your particular constraints, though, it seems the fatigue cost may outweigh any volume benefit. I don’t think you’re going to find an easy way to productively incorporate a very stoplight heavy commute into a high volume plan.
Obviously it’s different with 3 sports v 1, but I’m also generally 2 days in the office. At mid volume cycling, 1 day was a rest day (so train), and then I subbed the midweek endurance for the commute. It was (and will be when I’m back to structure) the commute or nothing really.
I would just say, obviously every commute is different, but for me the train commute is a good bit of walking (at pace usually), potentially standing both ways. So bike v train, for me, isn’t tss v zero “stress”.
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Is there any way to keep it all low z2 by HR/RPE and use the trainer/structured training elsewhere?
Hills will be the destroyer of morale/speed/ego though if you stick to the zone but it could prevent burnout/overtraining/etc?
I’ll be in a similar situation next year and will aim for 3 days of 2x1hr commute just taking it relatively easy and using the trainer for the structured efforts like 4x8min or 3x20min etc where I really need to be able to hold that prescribed power to get the proper training stimulus. (I have had good results on the “polarised” training ideology previously).
I don’t know of many commutes that you could hold near threshold for 20 mins 3 times through!
Nope.
Commute riding has to be what it is. The lights, the traffic, the sudden accelerations, the hills, the stops, the weirdness of cycle pathways…to be safe and assertive on the road you can’t be looking at power. It is what it is. 
I’ve checked out the velo park and I can’t use it before work, but it is possible to use their road track after work and follow it up with the commute home. The opposite of ideal, but it’s an option.
I’m keener on halving my bike commute to two rides, and running to work (a closer tube station) instead.
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You don’t need to be watching power but you can dial it back to the point where your commute doesn’t impact the rest of your training. If/when you can then add on miles at the VeloPark/Regents etc. you’ll be all good.
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Ah ok, seems like our commutes will be a bit different then. Mine looks to be mostly on off street bike paths which I’ll be aiming to keep mostly in z2.
Does anyone know what the effect of 2x 1hr rides in a day (one to work, the other home) differs to 1x2hr ride? Both 3 days a week, both strict z2, but outdoors? Or if a study has been done on a trainer as a control measure?
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I’m not sure of any studies, but three days of 2x1hr can’t be too dissimilar to three days of 1x2hr.
You might plateau a little faster (as in not progress solely on these rides) but coupled with different rides they might still give plenty of training stimuli to at least maintain a solid aerobic base.
As always, I suspect it depends on the rest of your riding. But (in isolation) it’s better then not doing it I suppose.
I’ll be trying to turn 1 of the 6 into a high effort ride, but mostly the plan is for them to be endurance/z2 rides, even if that means doing the hill at about 15-20kmh to start with (it is shallow but long). I can be pretty consistent at holding steady power if that is the plan for the day. Most of the ride should be on high speed path with minimal road to avoid lights etc.
Likely the first few months will be omitting most of the other programmed rides to build the engine back up to where it needs to be.
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