Concessionary fares on the British railway network

Railcards

Before the rail network was privatised, British Rail introduced several discount cards that were available to certain groups of people. Various reasons are usually cited:

• To encourage off-peak and leisure travel
• To provide greater access to rail services for low-income groups, creating a social benefit
• To generate new sources of income: certain groups of people may be encouraged to perform a modal switch to rail transport if given the benefit of cheaper fares

All of the schemes were retained after privatisation, despite some threats of abolition. By generating extra income at off-peak times when trains are generally less crowded, they offer a potential commercial benefit for the train operating companies (TOCs).

Participation in the Young Persons, Senior and Disabled Persons Railcard schemes is mandatory for all TOCs under their franchise agreements; the Family and HM Forces Railcard schemes are notionally voluntary, but all TOCs participate in them. For the Network Railcard, which has a restricted geographical area, all TOCs in the relevant area are members of the scheme and participate in it. The revenue applicable to each TOC from the use of each Railcard is calculated by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), and voting rights and costs payable are attributed accordingly.

Seven percent of fare revenue is derived from travel using one of the Railcard schemes. This amounts to approximately £400 million, of which £60M is estimated by the RDG to be attributable entirely to the existence of the Railcards – if they were not available, journeys to a total value of £60M per year would not be made by rail. Approximately 2,200,000 Railcards are in use at any one time in Britain.

16-17 Saver

The 16-17 Saver was introduced in 2019 in order to allow people aged 16 and 17 to access child fares, which are normally only available to children under 16. The railcard costs £30.00 for a year (or until the holder's 18th birthday, whichever is sooner), and offers up to 50% off rail fares, the same as child rate tickets. However, the 16-17 saver cannot be used on journeys involving ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper as Scotland has its own equivalent, the Young Scots Card. Unlike the 16-25 Railcard, the 16-17 Saver can be used to purchase season tickets but cannot be used to purchase first class tickets, and has no minimum fare. Only people aged 16 and 17 can use the railcard; 16-17 Savers purchased less than a year before the holder turns 18 will only be valid until the holder's 18th birthday instead of for a full year. Applications must be supported by a valid form of ID, such as a passport, driving license, or national ID card, to prove the age of the applicant.

16–25 Railcard (formerly Young Persons Railcard)

This railcard costs £30.00, and is available to anybody between the ages of 16 and 25 (inclusive) - a person may purchase one the day before their 26th birthday and use it up to their 27th. Also, full-time students aged 26 or above may buy one. (In this instance, a "full-time student" is considered to be a person who studies at a "recognised educational establishment" for at least 15 hours per week and 20 weeks per year, or a person who holds an International Student Identity Card.) Employees of Rail Delivery Group accredited rail travel agents who pass the Certificate of Rail Agent Competency exam can claim a complimentary 16-25 Railcard without any age restrictions.

The standard discount on the full adult fare is 33.4% (changed from 34% in 2024), rounded down to the nearest £0.05; virtually all ticket types (although not season tickets) qualify for a discount. No discounts are available for accompanying children. In addition, a minimum fare applies before 10:00 Monday to Friday; this used to be £8.00 for a single ticket and discounted returns, and £16.00 for full-price return ticket types. However, from 17 May 2009 the minimum fare changed to £12 regardless of whether it was a single or a return ticket bought. During July and August the minimum fare rule does not apply.

26–30 Railcard

Also known as the "Millennial Railcard", the 26–30 Railcard was announced in Philip Hammond's November 2017 United Kingdom budget speech. As an initial trial, the first 10,000 went on sale in March 2018 and sold out on the first day, the level of demand causing the website selling them to crash. They went on general sale on 2 January 2019, which again saw high demand.

Like the 16–25 Railcard, the 26–30 Railcard costs £30, confers a 33.4% discount, and can't be used for season tickets. It is the first digital-only railcard, stored on a smartphone app, with no paper version available.

Senior Railcard

This railcard costs £30.00, and is available to anybody aged 60 or over. Applications must be supported by a valid birth certificate, passport or driving licence confirming the applicant's age. Up to the early 1990s, up to four accompanying children could travel for £1.00 each, and the standard discount on the full adult fare was 50%. The railcard was known at that time as the Senior Citizen Railcard. In 1992, however, the "new" Senior Railcard was phased in; the standard discount became 34%, and there was no longer a discount for accompanying children. The discount is now 33.4%. Again, not all ticket types qualify for a discount. There are no time restrictions except in for journeys wholly within the Network Railcard area, where it cannot be used before 09:30. Certain county councils or other local authorities subsidise Senior Railcards for their residents.

Family and Friends Railcard (formerly Family Railcard)

This railcard costs £30.00, and is available to anybody aged 16 or over. A second adult can be named as a co-holder. At least one adult (which must include one of the named holders) and one child must travel in order to receive the discounts, which are:

• Adult: 33.4% off the full adult fare
• Child: 60% off the full child fare, subject to a minimum fare of £1.00

The maximum group size is four adults and four children. One of the adults in the group must always be the cardholder (or the co-holder, in the case of a jointly-held railcard). Not all ticket types qualify for a discount.

Network Railcard

This railcard was introduced in 1986, when Network SouthEast was created. It gives a 34% discount on many (but again, not all) types of ticket within the Network SouthEast area. Similar to the Family Railcard, but without the requirement for a child to be travelling to obtain the discount, groups of up to four adults and four children may travel together and gain the following discounts:

• Adult: 34% off the full adult fare, subject to a minimum fare of £13.00 per ticket issued or £22.60 for travelcards. There is no minimum fare at weekends, or on bank holidays except for Travelcards which are subject to a £5 minimum fare.
• Child: 60% off the full child fare, subject to a minimum fare of £1.00 per ticket issued.

There have been various changes to the Network Railcard's conditions since 1986, and as with the Senior Railcard, a previous version existed under a different name (the Network Card). The current version costs £30.

Disabled Persons Railcard

This railcard was available in a one-year version for £14.00 until 5 September 2006 since then it has also been available in a 3-year version. As of September 2024 it currently costs:

• Valid for one year; £20.00
• Valid for three years; £54.00

The qualification criteria also changed slightly at this date. Disabled Persons Railcards are not issued at National Rail stations; they must be applied for by post or online.

HM Forces Railcard

These are available to all members of the regular armed forces, reservists, and in most cases the partners and dependent children of eligible members. Discounts for the railcard holder are generally 34% (subject to minimum fares), with Supersaver, Saver and Advance/SuperAdvance tickets discounted by 26%. Up to four accompanied children may travel at a 60% discount on the standard child fare, with a £1.00 minimum fare. HM Forces Railcards cost £19 and are distributed at a local level by the pay and administration offices at the member's unit.

Two Together Railcard

The Two Together Railcard offers a discount of one-third on most off-peak tickets nationwide, for two named individuals travelling together. During its trial period, which lasted from 5 September 2011 until 19 May 2012, the main applicant for a Two Together Railcard must live within the West Midlands area (postcodes beginning B, CV, DY, WS or WV).

In early 2014 National Rail began advertising the Two Together Railcard on posters at railway stations in central London. The Two Together Railcard was launched nationally on Monday 3 March 2014.

Local railcards

The Network Railcard is the main example of a local railcard, but various others are available in much more localised areas, or even for a single line. In many cases, adult tickets are issued with the status code LOCRC (Local Railcard); child tickets show CHLOC. However, some of the Railcards have unique status codes assigned to them.

Cambrian Railcard

This costs £10.00 for a year. Cardholders must be aged 16 or over, no co-holders can be named, and there are no discounts for accompanying adults or children. A discount of 34% is available on Day Singles, Off-Peak Day Returns (formerly called "Cheap Day Returns"), Super Off-Peak (formerly "Supersaver") tickets on the Cambrian Coast route between Shrewsbury, Aberystwyth, Machynlleth and Pwllheli. The Railcard can only be purchased at Aberystwyth and Machynlleth stations, and is only available to residents of the area.

Cotswold Line Railcard

This costs £7.50 for a year, and gives 34% discounts on Standard Day singles and Off-Peak Day singles (formerly "Cheap Day singles") and returns between Worcester Foregate Street and Oxford (and intermediate stops). Cardholders must be aged 16 or over, no co-holders can be named, and there are no discounts for accompanying adults or children. The Railcard can be bought at any staffed station on the route. The discount is not available until the 08.44 train from Worcester and the 08.48 train from Oxford on weekdays, but there are no weekend restrictions.

Dales Railcard

This was introduced in 1995, and after a trial period until 31 August 1995 when the price was set at £5.00, the cost settled at £10.00 per year for a number of years. There was a subsequent increase to £12.00 per year, but during 2007 a discounted price of £10.00 applies. The Railcard gives a discount of 34% on all Standard Day, Cheap Day and Saver tickets within the region of validity. This complex area covers:

• All journeys between the following stations (inclusive): Carlisle, Brampton, Gargrave and Wennington
• Journeys from all of these stations to all stations on the routes to Morecambe, Bradford Forster Square and Leeds (inclusive) - but not via Penrith
• Journeys from Skipton to all stations on the routes to Morecambe and Brampton (inclusive) - but not via Penrith

Cardholders must be aged 16 or over, and no co-holders can be named, but up to four accompanied children can travel at a 60% discount on the standard child fare (subject to a £1.00 minimum fare). (In the early years, up to two children could travel for a flat fare of £2.00.) Only residents in certain postcode areas within the region of validity may apply; however, an arrangement between the Friends of the Settle–Carlisle Line user group and train operator Northern Rail allows members of the group to buy a "Gold Card" (a plastic magnetic stripe card with an integrated circuit chip, rather than a printed paper card) giving them the same benefits as the railcard. This card costs £12.00.

Devon & Cornwall Railcard

This railcard, covering the counties of Devon and Cornwall, was introduced on 10 September 2006 to replace two Railcards which covered the counties separately: the Devon Railcard and the Cornish Railcard. It gives discounts for the holder (who must be aged 16 or over) and one accompanying adult of 34% on Cheap Day and Saver Singles and Returns for journeys wholly within the two counties, and 34% on the countywide Devon Day Ranger and Cornwall Day Ranger tickets, and line-specific Rangers for the following branch lines: Atlantic Coast Line, Looe Valley Line, Maritime Line, Tamar Valley Line and Tarka Line. The only exception is the St Ives Bay Line Day Ranger, which is discounted by 50% when the Railcard is used. Up to four children can accompany the adult(s) for a flat fare of £1.00 each for point-to-point tickets, or £2.00 for Day Rangers. While the array of discounts is broadly the same as those available with the Devon Railcard, the former Cornish Railcard offered 34% discounts on Standard Day Singles and Returns as well. These tickets were available for travel during the peak period (before 9.30am). This change prompted criticism that people who travelled frequently but not daily at peak times in Cornwall would have to pay more: although all season tickets for journeys within Cornwall were reduced in price from 10 September 2006, they are only cost-effective for regular travellers (four or five weekdays per week).

The original Cornish Railcard was one of the earliest examples of a local railcard, having been introduced on 4 November 1983. It originally cost £6.00 for adults, and there was a child version priced at £3.00. All journeys wholly within Cornwall (First and Second Class) were charged at half price, as were returns to Plymouth, just across the border into Devon. Some other offers for travel outside Cornwall were included until May 1984, at which point the Railcard was halved in price. By 1986, a 50% discount was only available on Cheap Day Returns; all other tickets received a 34% discount. Reduced-rate Seven Day Season Tickets could also now be bought by Railcard holders. Also, the price had increased to £7.00 (adults) and £3.50 (children). By 1989, another major change had taken place: only Cornwall residents could buy the Railcard; a Photocard (photographic identity card) was required; the Child version was withdrawn; Cheap Day Return discounts had been cut to 34%; the Tamar Valley Line (Plymouth–Gunnislake) was included in its entirety, although parts of it lie within Devon; and the design of the APTIS card (British Rail form number BR 4599/77) had changed significantly, now incorporating a stylised map of the Cornish peninsula and the railway lines serving the county.

Esk Valley Railcard

This costs £12.00 per year, and gives a discount of 34% on all Standard Day, Cheap Day and Saver tickets in the area of validity. This covers journeys between Whitby and Great Ayton inclusive, and also for journeys from these stations to the other stations on the line - Nunthorpe, Gypsy Lane, Marton and Middlesbrough. The 34% discount, and accompanying child discount (again subject to the £1.00 minimum fare), is also available on the Tees Day Ranger ticket, which offers unlimited journeys on the route in one day; and on return tickets on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a preserved railway running from Grosmont to Pickering. Cardholders must be aged 16 or over, and no co-holders can be named, but up to four accompanied children can travel at a 60% discount on the standard Child fare (subject to a £1.00 minimum fare). The Railcard is only available to residents living in the boroughs of Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland and the Hambleton, Scarborough and Ryedale districts of North Yorkshire. All revenue raised through the sale of these Railcards is used by the Esk Valley Railway Development Company, a not-for-profit organisation which runs the line as a "Community Railway", to maintain and improve the line.

Heart of Wales Line Railcard

Introduced in May 2000, this costs £5.00 for one year, and is available to residents aged 16 or over of certain postal districts along the line of the route, which runs from Swansea to Shrewsbury. A 34% discount is available on all fares for journeys between any two stations on the route. Up to two children can accompany the cardholder for a flat fare of £2.00. The Railcard may be purchased at Llandrindod station, or by postal application. The scheme was relaunched and extended on 29 September 2005.

Highland Railcard

This costs £7.50 per year, and is available to applicants aged 16 or over who live in certain areas of the north and west Highlands of Scotland - principally the IV and KW postal districts. A 50% discount is available for the cardholder for all journeys on the following routes, with up to two children accompanying the cardholder being charged a £2.00 flat fare:

• The Kyle of Lochalsh Line between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh
• The Far North Line between Inverness and its two termini (Thurso and Wick)
• The West Highland Line between Glasgow Queen Street and its two termini (Oban and Mallaig)

Railcards are issued after an application form is completed and submitted by post or to the ticket office at Dingwall, Fort William, Inverness, Kyle of Lochalsh, Mallaig, Oban, Thurso or Wick stations.

The current form of the Railcard dates from 3 January 1999, when a previous version covering a more restricted geographical area was merged with the former West Highland Railcard, which was itself introduced in 1993.

The "original" Highland Railcard scheme appears to date from 1988, as ticket stock (British Rail form number BR 4599/79) was being printed in that year, but only the details of its subsequent relaunches are known. The first change happened as from 1 October 1991, with a six-month Railcard being priced at £4.00 and giving a 34% discount on all ticket types for journeys between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh, Thurso and Wick. In September 1994, the Railcard was made available free, and a 34% discount was available on the standard Child fare for one accompanying child. From 3 January 1999, when the West Highland Railcard was integrated into it, the price became £5.00 and two accompanying children could travel for £2.00 each. The price subsequently rose to its current £7.50 level.

The West Highland Railcard lasted just over five years, from 1 October 1993 until 3 January 1999, but the boundaries of its validity were extended, it changed from priced to free of charge, and the areas prospective holders had to live in to qualify were altered. For the first year, the Railcard cost £5.00 for 12 months, and could be used for all journeys between Mallaig and Helensburgh Upper, and for through tickets on to Glasgow Queen Street. All fares were discounted by 34% with the Railcard, and one accompanying child could travel for 34% off the Child fare. As with the Highland Railcard, a relaunch in September 1994 made the card free of charge; the route to Oban was included at the same time. The British Rail form number for the ticket stock was BR 4599/145.

Pembrokeshire Railcard

This costs £5.00 for one year, and is available to residents (aged 16 or over) of certain postal districts in Pembrokeshire. Discounts of 34% are available on all journeys on the routes collectively known as the West Wales Line: the Fishguard Harbour, Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock branch lines, and the common section from Whitland via Carmarthen through to Swansea. Standard Day Returns now receive the discount, although tickets bought with the Railcard cannot be used on the section of the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Llanelli. The Railcards can be bought at Haverfordwest and Carmarthen stations.

Valleys Line Railcards

On the Valley Lines network in South Wales, discounts are available with two Railcards:

• Valleys Senior Railcard – introduced on 30 May 1999, at a cost of £5.00 for one year, and gives a 50% discount on Cheap Day Return fares for journeys wholly within the Valley Lines area. There are no discounts for accompanying passengers. Tickets are issued with status code VAL-S. From February 2000, the price was reduced to £4.00 for permanent residents of the county boroughs of Rhondda Cynon Taff and Merthyr Tydfil. The form number of the ticket stock used is RSP 4599/206.

• Valleys Student Railcard – introduced at the same time as the Valleys Senior Railcard, this costs £9.00 for one year, and gives a 26% discount on Standard Day and Cheap Day Single and Return fares in the area, and a 10% discount on Seven Day Season Tickets. Originally, only Cheap Day Returns and season ticket received a discount. The demise of the Cornish Railcard means that this is the only Railcard anywhere in Great Britain that offers a discount on Season Tickets (although New Deal Photocards also do). Ticket stock bears the form number RSP 4599/216.

The Maesteg Line was initially excluded from the routes on which the railcards were valid; this anomaly was removed on 5 January 2003.