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How strict are ticket inspectors on Railcards?
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RailUK Forums
221129
Established Member
Depends on who you meet. However you MUST have your railcard with you for your discounted ticket to be valid.
Normally they are pretty strict. You see time and time again people having purchased a ticket online with a railcard discount when either
A) They haven't for a railcard (a lot of students think their ID cards entitle them to discount!)
B) Their railcards are out of date.
A photograph or print out of railcards will not do.
A) They haven't for a railcard (a lot of students think their ID cards entitle them to discount!)
B) Their railcards are out of date.
A photograph or print out of railcards will not do.
The policies vary by Train Operating Company, whether you are travelling in a Penalty Fare area and the job title of who is inspecting the ticket. On top of that some staff are more likely to their discretion, which obviously varies from person to person.
Some staff will allow you to excess (pay the difference) to the non-railcard fare. Some will let you excess, but only to the Anytime (Peak) fare.
If you run into a RPI (whose job is solely about checking tickets and doesn't have safety-critical operational roles to distract them from this), they are much less likely to cut you any slack, and would probably receive a Penalty Fare or be reported to the prosecutions department. At best you will have to buy a whole new ticket.
Either way, a picture of the railcard isn't going to suffice, so keep the railcard in your wallet or in a place where you are less likely to forget it.
Some staff will allow you to excess (pay the difference) to the non-railcard fare. Some will let you excess, but only to the Anytime (Peak) fare.
If you run into a RPI (whose job is solely about checking tickets and doesn't have safety-critical operational roles to distract them from this), they are much less likely to cut you any slack, and would probably receive a Penalty Fare or be reported to the prosecutions department. At best you will have to buy a whole new ticket.
Either way, a picture of the railcard isn't going to suffice, so keep the railcard in your wallet or in a place where you are less likely to forget it.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
You would be very ill advised to forget it. Perhaps do as I do and put it in your wallet rather than the separate one provided, then you can't be without it without forgetting everything.
My experience is my railcard is checked one out of ten times. This is someone who uses a 16-25 railcard with rapidlt greying hair (mature student) so I'm surprised it's not inspected more closely more often! But then I always hand over my railcard wallet with my ticket for inspection and I would never knowingly travel on a railcard discounted ticket without my railcard - it's a big no no.
A photo of your railcard is not your railcard, so I'd rule that option out.
If you forget your railcard I would advise going to the ticket office (where available) or speak to the guard before travel to explain the situation. Many staff will be very understanding and offer you an excess to cover the difference between the discounted and non discounted fare (some on this forum will be vociferous in their outrage and objection that unofficial excesses of this nature happen, but the fact of the matter is they do).
However, the official course of action is to buy a new ticket. Depending on the type of ticket you have you may be eligible to claim for a refund for the unused railcard discounted ticket (less an administrative fee).
If you're facing having to buy a new ticket you might also consider the cost of this versus the cost of simply buying a new railcard (if you're able to).
Under no circumstances should you board a train with a railcard discounted ticket without your railcard. The ticket you hold is invalid without the railcard.
Of course, the simple solution is to follow Neil Williams's sound advice and to just keep your railcard, tickets and wallet together. Has served me well for several years (save the occasional absent mindedness).
A photo of your railcard is not your railcard, so I'd rule that option out.
If you forget your railcard I would advise going to the ticket office (where available) or speak to the guard before travel to explain the situation. Many staff will be very understanding and offer you an excess to cover the difference between the discounted and non discounted fare (some on this forum will be vociferous in their outrage and objection that unofficial excesses of this nature happen, but the fact of the matter is they do).
However, the official course of action is to buy a new ticket. Depending on the type of ticket you have you may be eligible to claim for a refund for the unused railcard discounted ticket (less an administrative fee).
If you're facing having to buy a new ticket you might also consider the cost of this versus the cost of simply buying a new railcard (if you're able to).
Under no circumstances should you board a train with a railcard discounted ticket without your railcard. The ticket you hold is invalid without the railcard.
Of course, the simple solution is to follow Neil Williams's sound advice and to just keep your railcard, tickets and wallet together. Has served me well for several years (save the occasional absent mindedness).
I forgot my railcard once and had to pay the full fare, this was on the local stopper, as it was a long journey I was starting it cost me around another £20, lesson learned the hard way, haven't forgotten it since!
I have seen people with discounted tickets but no railcard, the guards seem to have different attitudes to this, some will charge the difference between the discounted ticket and the full price one, others will charge for a new, full price ticket.
I have seen people with discounted tickets but no railcard, the guards seem to have different attitudes to this, some will charge the difference between the discounted ticket and the full price one, others will charge for a new, full price ticket.
As someone who works as an RPI in the south london area, i will ask to see railcards 100% of the time and unless a pretty miraculous reason is given for not carrying it then the minimum issued will be a penalty fare.
Follow the advice, keep it somewhere where you're less likely to forget it
Follow the advice, keep it somewhere where you're less likely to forget it
GaryMcEwan
Established Member
Certainly on the local routes in Glasgow and the surrounding area, whenever I've got on the conductors rarely ask to see my DPRC. I've not been asked to produce it well over 8 months. I'm not even sure they actually read the ticket properly.
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Minilad
Established Member
So. You are forgetful and are worried about forgetting your railcard. Why aren't you worried about forgetting your ticket
47271
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Just on the ticket office excess point here, I've had cause to do this quite a bit recently and never had a problem with it getting done. The circumstances are rather different but the outcome should be identical.
A few weeks ago I booked tickets online for an elderly neighbour and applied a railcard discount. A couple of days later I went on to make four bookings of my own and, through not unchecking the discount, awarded myself a Senior Railcard price for all of them. I thought they were a bit cheap. I only noticed when I printed the first booking at Edinburgh Waverley. Luckily I read the ticket carefully (which was quite a task, it was in the new format and some text was overprinting itself) and had time to queue at the ticket office to get the error corrected. He excessed me quite happily and I've gone on to do it another three times at other stations all over the UK. I also explain the reason for the excess when the ticket is checked on the train. One time I was told 'I wouldn't have noticed the railcard discount if you hadn't told me, you can hardly see a thing on these new tickets'. So the new format's a big success then.
Anyway, if you realise that you're without the railcard, try to correct the error at the earliest opportunity and don't just get on the train and hope for the best.
Photos are never any good with me. Rumoured to be some clever scams going on involving doctored ones.
Whether I check depends on how busy I am and what is going on. If I've got a full long distance train and not that long to go through I will ask for some at random as waiting for multiple clowns to rummage through their bags to find their railcard despite having their ticket in their hand means I'm going to end up missing people out, particularly unfair if they have an enquiry etc. If I have the luxury of time or it's a Sunday (prime student travelling home without railcard time, like it or not) I check them all. If I'm working a local service where I'm selling tickets I check them before issuing any discount.
I'm less likely to ask to see it if the ticket was issued with an Avantix machine as I assume most folk work in a similar way to me with regards to checking railcard before issuing discounted tickets.
Whether I check depends on how busy I am and what is going on. If I've got a full long distance train and not that long to go through I will ask for some at random as waiting for multiple clowns to rummage through their bags to find their railcard despite having their ticket in their hand means I'm going to end up missing people out, particularly unfair if they have an enquiry etc. If I have the luxury of time or it's a Sunday (prime student travelling home without railcard time, like it or not) I check them all. If I'm working a local service where I'm selling tickets I check them before issuing any discount.
I'm less likely to ask to see it if the ticket was issued with an Avantix machine as I assume most folk work in a similar way to me with regards to checking railcard before issuing discounted tickets.
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pdq
Member
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- 7 Oct 2010
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- 900
I can never work out why so many people don't automatically show both without being asked. Am I so unusual that I used to keep my YP railcard (as it was then) in my wallet - then buy or collect the tickets using money or a card from my wallet, then put the ticket (guess)... in my wallet with the railcard?
Same goes now that I use a family and friends card. Tickets and railcard are never apart.
Even when the guard asks for "tickets and railcards for inspection", so many people have to be asked again for the card. WHY?
Same goes now that I use a family and friends card. Tickets and railcard are never apart.
Even when the guard asks for "tickets and railcards for inspection", so many people have to be asked again for the card. WHY?
what's DPRC
Llanigraham
On Moderation
I have been asked for my Disabled Adult card every time I have been asked for my ticket.
Disabled person's railcard, presumably
BackOnTheTrain
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If I'm travelling to/from work, both stations being open (no barriers), then I keep my tickets in the same slot in my wallet as my railcard, so can show my railcard easily.
If I'm travelling elsewhere (on holiday) then I tend to keep my ticket in a jacket/shirt pocket to get through any barriers more quickly without having to dig through my bags for my wallet first... I tend to not put my ticket back in to my wallet until I'm done travelling for the day. That said, I do try to have my railcard handy as soon as I hear the guard asking for tickets on the train.
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tsr
Established Member
Democratic People's Republic of Coatbridge?
I would get a small card wallet and get someone or yourself to sew some wide string type material to it. Like a ribben but thicker. Then attach that to your belt in someway. That's what I do to stop me losing my season ticket.
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Interestingly Sunday is when station barriers seem to be messed for the least number of hours.
87electric
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In my experience, it's actually the other way around - the most common problem with the 16-25 railcards seems to be that they are out of date by a few days (okay, occasionally by a few months!). With the SNR railcard, I regularly hear "I never bring that with me", "I didn't know I needed it", "I'm over 65 so I get the discount" or complaints about having to find it (bottom of bag, once even buried in a suitcase).
I treat all railcards the same when checking tickets, if your ticket is discounted you need to show the railcard. If you can't then you either pay the excess or buy a new ticket (which option depends very much on the attitude of the passenger). I have, on occasion, allowed travel through to the next booking office and waited a couple of minutes to allow renewal of a SNR card, particularly if the mistake appears genuine and I'm confident the train won't actually be delayed.
I treat all railcards the same when checking tickets, if your ticket is discounted you need to show the railcard. If you can't then you either pay the excess or buy a new ticket (which option depends very much on the attitude of the passenger). I have, on occasion, allowed travel through to the next booking office and waited a couple of minutes to allow renewal of a SNR card, particularly if the mistake appears genuine and I'm confident the train won't actually be delayed.
CaptainHaddock
Established Member
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Presumably he can't remember why he bought one?
gray1404
Established Member
I have found they are much less likely to check a disabled persons railcard for some reason.
ScouserGirl
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- 28 Dec 2015
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When I get my tickets I put my tickets in the ticket wallet with the railcard so they are both together!! The amount of people you hear on the train being asked to show the railcard and they said they forget it makes me laugh even more so that they have to pay the walk on fare!!
trainophile
Established Member
I keep my railcard in my purse, which I would never leave home without. Tickets go in a ticket wallet, and are kept handy (in a zipped pocket if my coat has one) for barriers and inspection. My purse sometimes sinks to the bottom of my bag, under the assorted junk that lives in there, but on the very odd occasion I'm asked for my card it only takes me half a minute to locate it. If I hear the ticket inspector coming through then I will make sure I can access my purse if need be.
Why not just keep your railcard with your tickets? Or if you are more likely to remember your phone or wallet but not your railcard, then keep your railcard with your phone or wallet (in the same case).
MedwayValiant
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There is (or possibly was, since I haven't encountered him for a while) a conductor on Southeastern High Speed who makes everyone take their railcards out of their holders and turns them over to check that they've been signed.
I don't know whether he's ever actually issued a penalty fare for invalid railcard when it hasn't been signed, but I've heard him threaten to on a number of occasions.
While he's absolutely within his rights here, would most consider this to be unnecessary pedantry? After all, if it has been signed he doesn't then get you to reproduce your signature on a separate piece of paper to demonstrate that it is indeed your Netword Card.
I don't know whether he's ever actually issued a penalty fare for invalid railcard when it hasn't been signed, but I've heard him threaten to on a number of occasions.
While he's absolutely within his rights here, would most consider this to be unnecessary pedantry? After all, if it has been signed he doesn't then get you to reproduce your signature on a separate piece of paper to demonstrate that it is indeed your Netword Card.
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