Why you should get a Railcard before prices go up
If you’re eligible for a Railcard, they can bag you some really significant savings. Here’s a nudge from our Head of Digital Communications, Jess Fitch, to get one before a key date that’s coming up…
I love my Family & Friends Railcard. From Ipswich, if my family wants a day out by the seaside, it brings the price of our tickets to Lowestoft down from £61 to £38.
For longer journeys, like holidays to Cornwall, the savings for the four of us can be massive – almost £250.
So, our Railcard has come with us on countless journeys over the years, from the days when the kids liked to toddle up and down the aisle, through endless games of I Spy and Uno, to today, when they barely take off their headphones between Suffolk and St Ives. We’ve always enjoyed rail travel more than driving, and our Railcard makes it affordable – which is good news for the environment too.
The Family & Friends Railcard is for people travelling with children. But plenty of other Railcards are available.
The Senior Railcard gives people aged 60 and over one third off their fares.
The 16-25 Railcard and the 26-30 Railcard give young people a third off their fares, while even younger travellers can get half-price fares with the 16-17 Saver.
The Two Together Railcard is for two named people travelling together. Then there’s the Disabled Persons Railcard, and the Veterans Railcard*.
Of course, if you don’t fall into one of those categories, Railcards are no use to you. There’s a strong argument to be made for a National Railcard for all. (There’s also a strong argument to be made for just making rail fares cheaper full-stop, but that’s a subject for another blog post).
But for many people, Railcards are a brilliant option.
That’s why we were disappointed to learn that the price of most Railcards is going up on 2 March, after staying the same for more than ten years.
With the exception of the Disabled Persons Railcard, the price of a one-year Railcard will increase by £5 to £35. The price of a three-year Railcard will increase by £10 to £80.
This increase is happening at the same time as many rail fares rise by 4.6 per cent. Meanwhile, for car drivers, fuel duty remains frozen for the 14th year running (oh, except for that one year when it was cut). Considering the grave reality of climate change, and the fact that transport emits more carbon than anything else does in the UK, this seems wildly wrongheaded.
Don’t get me wrong, Railcards will still be well worth their cost, even after the price rise. Railcard customers save an average of £158 a year – I’m sure I’ve saved more.
But if you don’t have a Railcard yet, and you’re eligible, why not get one now, before the price rise kicks in? And if your existing Railcard is due to run out soon, remember, you can renew it up to 30 days in advance – so again it’s worth acting before prices go up.
The moral of the story: if you’re eligible and you like saving money, get a Railcard. If you REALLY like saving money, get one before 2 March!
*There are also a number of regional Railcards, including the Cambrian Railcard; the Cotswold Line Railcard; the Dales Railcard; the Devon and Cornwall Railcard; the Esk Valley Railcard; the Heart of Wales Line Railcard; the Network Railcard in the South East; and the Pembrokeshire Railcard. Most of these are not affected by the upcoming price rise.
