Concessionary fares on the British railway network

Overview

In addition to the large number and variety of short-term or localised promotional fares that have been available to passengers on the British railway network in recent decades (especially since privatisation), there are many permanent concessionary fare schemes available to passengers. Some of these take the form of Railcards, which can be purchased by people who qualify according to the conditions, and which give discounts for all journeys over a period; other concessions are available for individual journeys. As of 2025, the main Railcards include the 16–17 Saver, 16–25 Railcard, 26–30 Railcard, Senior Railcard, Disabled Persons Railcard, Family & Friends Railcard, Two Together Railcard, Network Railcard, and Veterans Railcard, with most priced at £35 for one year and the Disabled Persons Railcard at £20 for one year or £54 for three years. In March 2025, the cost of most Railcards in England and Wales increased by £5 alongside a 4.6% rise in regulated fares, although the Disabled Persons Railcard was excluded from this increase. In Scotland, the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Scheme was revised in April 2025, initially granting a 50% discount on standard single and return rail fares before changing in September 2025 to one-third off off-peak fares, with capped fares retained for rural zones and for ferry and subway travel. In all cases, details of the type of concession are printed on the passenger's travel ticket, to distinguish reduced-rate tickets from those sold at the standard full fare, and many concessions can now be verified digitally via mobile devices.

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 £35.00 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 £35.00, 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 £35, 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 £35.00, 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 known as the family railcard, this railcard costs £35.00, 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.