Railcard holders are complaining of a “stealth” price increase on train tickets. From 15 September the discount on fares for most railcard journeys will be cut from 34 per cent to 33.4 per cent. The effect is a 0.9 per cent fare rise.
Up to that date a £30 off-peak single from Coventry to London Euston on London Northwestern Railway will cost £19.80; after that, it’s £20.
The move by the Rail Delivery Group makes it a good time to assess the value of railcards – especially in the light of research from Virgin Trains Ticketing that two-thirds of consumers don’t have a discount card. Most of those people think they don’t travel by train often enough to need one.
For anyone who uses trains in the UK, there’s probably a discount waiting. Mark Plowright, director at Virgin Trains Ticketing, said: “Our research shows that 20 per cent of consumers who have a railcard are encouraged to travel by train more frequently.
“So if we want more people to choose the train over their car or domestic flight, then it’s a good idea to better educate and promote the use of railcards for eligible customers so that more passengers can get the best value on their journeys.”
But each railcard is subject to a tangle of terms and conditions – notably restrictions on when you can use them in London and southeast England.
These are the key questions and answers.
What’s the big idea?
The rail industry uses price to stimulate additional travel by rail – both encouraging passengers to switch from other modes of transport and to make more journeys than they otherwise would.
Railcards, whose ownership is restricted to specifically targeted groups, is the method the rail industry has used to try to boost revenue.
The first Student Railcard was introduced in October 1974, giving one-third off train tickets for people who could prove their student status. The aim was to tempt students away from long-distance coaches and hitchhiking, and to encourage them to make additional journeys by rail – whether to see bands in other cities, visit friends at other colleges or to take dirty laundry home to be dealt with.
In 1992, the Student Railcard became the Young Persons Railcard. It changed again in 2008 to become the 16-25 Railcard.
A family of other cards delivering discounted tickets has gradually emerged, all at a basic…
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