RDG trial/Budget announcement: 26-30 Railcard from Spring 2018

[DarloRich]

It's not a question of giving people who 'cant be bothered to get a job' a discount while not giving hard working people a discount.

The extension of this Railcard means people in that age bracket who don't otherwise qualify for a discount will benefit in future, so the comment "students and former students who cant be bothered to get a job get a discount" makes no sense when you consider the fact that people in the first category (students) already got the discount before these changes anyway!

Anyone aged 26-30 will benefit in future, ie. this includes people of that age "shovelling crap in the dark and the wet keeping the trains running".

While I agree with your sentiment re: the latter group, I don't think the generalisation re: the "cant be bothered" part is helpful. Obviously there are lots of lazy layabouts around, but that only constitutes a small proportion in most cases.

I think the personal insults should cease.

My apologies - I thought I would respond in kind to a silly attack. Points noted.

I would agree with you if your argument is simply that there should be a Railcard available to all.

That's certainly my argument, and as I said I am certain that for my usage pattern (and journeys I presently don't make due to cost) such a Railcard (at a premium price of around £100-120) would be revenue positive to the railway, possibly very significantly so.

I think he does agree with that?

I do make such an argument - perhaps the Gold Card could be rolled out nationally. I would be happy to pay a decent sum for such a benefit. It would repay itself very quickly considering my travel requirements.

Are you saying that everyone should leave education at 16 and get a job? What about jobs which you can't do without many years of training, eg doctors?

of course not - simply that when I left university (seemingly an ice age ago now!) after 4 years I didn't have the opportunity to consider options for long or to return to the family home and live there cheaply. I needed a job asap to pay for housing and bills. Luckily I was able to get a job in the area in which I trained but had I failed I would have needed employment of any type and needed it very quickly. The real world is very different from the comfortable bubble of the student life.

 

[PR1Berske]

When will you learn that I really don't care what you or anyone else (other than moderators here) thinks and I will continue to post whatever I like. Sorry if that hits a little close to home and challenges your sense of entitlement.

Why should students and former students who cant be bothered to get a job get a discount on train travel when the people out shoveling crap in the dark and the wet keeping the trains running don't?

It's not possible, were it ever so, for people of any age to walk straight from classroom to office. Students may well be in employment, but on low or zero hours wages, making full cost rail travel impossible to afford.

Not all unemployed people are at their local Wetherspoons from 9am, you know. Not all students are lazy. Not all employees are fully professional career focussed idealists, for that matter.

But you know that. That's why you typed it.

 

[DarloRich]

It's not possible, were it ever so, for people of any age to walk straight from classroom to office. Students may well be in employment, but on low or zero hours wages, making full cost rail travel impossible to afford

Odd because I went straight from university to my first job as did most ( but not all) of the people on my course.

Odd because those people working at sports direct a like on zero hours contract cant afford train travel either yet don't qualify for any railcard discount. Why should under 30's be a special case? Lack of cash and poor employment opportunities are not age specific.

 

[northwichcat]

Odd because those people working at sports direct a like on zero hours contract cant afford train travel either yet don't qualify for any railcard discount. Why should under 30's be a special case? Lack of cash and poor employment opportunities are not age specific.

It's political. People under 30 who are children of life long Conservative supporters are neglecting the Conservatives and the Conservatives won't be able to get a majority government without them.

 

[PR1Berske]

Odd because I went straight from university to my first job as did most ( but not all) of the people on my course.

Odd because those people working at sports direct a like on zero hours contract cant afford train travel either yet don't qualify for any railcard discount. Why should under 30's be a special case? Lack of cash and poor employment opportunities are not age specific.

That's great, you went straight from Uni to work. People do. People don't, or can't. Broad brush generalisations about "lazy young people who can't be bothered" don't fit into your world view.

 

[Rover]

I would agree with you if your argument is simply that there should be a Railcard available to all.

Well, the gap is closing, it's down to 30 years now!

Perhaps in a few years the Senior Railcard will start at 50 and then we'll be down to 20 years?

 

[marks87]

I've been trying to find out if this is an "under 30s" railcard, or 16 to 30 inclusive, but keep reading conflicting reports (sometimes on the same site!).

If it's strictly "under 30s" that would be a tad annoying given I only just turned 30 a month ago!

 

[WelshBluebird]

Why should students and former students who cant be bothered to get a job get a discount on train travel when the people out shoveling crap in the dark and the wet keeping the trains running don't?

Err you know a hell of a lot of people who have a railcard do work right? The T&C's don't say something like you can only have one if you don't have a job.

 

[northwichcat]

That's great, you went straight from Uni to work. People do. People don't, or can't. Broad brush generalisations about "lazy young people who can't be bothered" don't fit into your world view.

Indeed. There aren't exactly the same number of vacancies every year or the same number of graduates so it's partly luck. I imagine 2009 would have been a bad year to graduate with many businesses scaling back operations rather than employing new people.

 

[northwichcat]

Err you know a hell of a lot of people who have a railcard do work right? The T&C's don't say something like you can only have one if you don't have a job.

Indeed. I know of CEOs and MDs who have a railcard, never mind just people in employment.

 

[Gareth Marston]

Indeed. There aren't exactly the same number of vacancies every year or the same number of graduates so it's partly luck. I imagine 2009 would have been a bad year to graduate with many businesses scaling back operations rather than employing new people.

I graduated in 93 and found out after that my Grandmother had had a stroke during my finals but my parents kept it from me so not distract me during my last couple of finals, I came home and she passed away soon after. My father had had half a lung out and lung cancer a couple of years before I wanted to be at home and spend time with him so I was moving back to Mid Wales anyway from Uni. The local jobs market was depressed It was still the back end of the previous recession. I was told by one local employer they wouldn't employ graduates as they expected too much money and would move on. I ended up in a rather poorly paid customer services job because it was local.

 

[Cantab26]

Why should students and former students who cant be bothered to get a job get a discount on train travel when the people out shoveling crap in the dark and the wet keeping the trains running don't?

When I was an undergraduate I was not permitted to take paid employment, so it is not just a case of "can't be bothered".

 

[DarloRich]

When I was an undergraduate I was not permitted to take paid employment, so it is not just a case of "can't be bothered".

by whom? I worked as a student. I had to to pay the bills!

 

[gavin]

26 to 30 railcard confirmed in the budget

 

[Cantab26]

by whom? I worked as a student. I had to to pay the bills!

By my college tutor. I was even prohibited from taking a Saturday job at the faculty library (the library was reference only so the duties consisted largely of reading books at a desk).

 

[Mojo]

Just seen online that apparently the trial will begin on December 6th in the Greater Anglia area.

 

[Mojo]

This was just posted on HM Treasury’s twitter feed. Not sure if an indication of the actual colours or just a generic image.

 

[takno]

Didn't government departments used to have budgets? The Budget speech these days seems to be 80% topics neither the chancellor or the wider treasury really understand. Cost-neutral or cheap departmental decisions shouldn't be any of his business

 

[DarloRich]

By my college tutor. I was even prohibited from taking a Saturday job at the faculty library (the library was reference only so the duties consisted largely of reading books at a desk).

I would have told him were to go.

 

[gsnedders]

I would have told him were to go.

Historically plenty of universities have had requirements to live within x miles of the university and to not have any form of employment during term time. Breaching university regulations is always risky, given if they choose to enforce them you can find yourself out of the university quite quickly.

 

[northwichcat]

By my college tutor. I was even prohibited from taking a Saturday job at the faculty library (the library was reference only so the duties consisted largely of reading books at a desk).

I would have told him were to go.

My university didn't forbid it but we were told you were expected to do at least 36 hours of work per week for your degree in your first year and at least 42 hours in your final year meaning work in your final year (except during holidays) was strongly advised against.

 

[DarloRich]

My university didn't forbid it but we were told you were expected to do at least 36 hours of work per week for your degree in your first year and at least 42 hours in your final year meaning work in your final year (except during holidays) was strongly advised against.

did they give you any money to pay the rent?

My course was 9-5 for 4 years. It was a mix of lectures, seminars, self study and some vocational training. I still had "homework" to do and then actual work to go to. I worked in pubs during term time and on building sites and in restaurant kitchens during the holidays. It was hard but I have always been good at exams so got away with it.

 

[WelshBluebird]

It depends on the university. The ones that "forbid" outside work are generally the likes of Oxbridge etc which are also the ones that generally require more hours spent on study and assignments.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The employment thing always used to be one of those ridiculous old traditions Oxford and Cambridge have, like not going home during term time and not owning a car.

 

[swt_passenger]

Is this really going to be a separate card for 26-30, or is it more likely that the existing card will become 16-30? The PR seems to suggest the former, but that might not reflect the eventual reality...

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think the trial will be separate but long term the existing one will be extended.

 

[IanXC]

The employment thing always used to be one of those ridiculous old traditions Oxford and Cambridge have, like not going home during term time and not owning a car.

Indeed. The context of course being that Oxford and Cambridge have a significantly shorter term than almost all other universities, so its much more of a 'you're at university now so you will study' and work outside of term time, than other places where term is stretched over a longer period.

 

[Mag_seven]

Whats all this Oxford and Cambridge stuff got to do with a 16-30 Railcard?

 

[northwichcat]

did they give you any money to pay the rent?

My course was 9-5 for 4 years. It was a mix of lectures, seminars, self study and some vocational training. I still had "homework" to do and then actual work to go to. I worked in pubs during term time and on building sites and in restaurant kitchens during the holidays. It was hard but I have always been good at exams so got away with it.

At my university a student loan would cover the rent (including utilities) and leave you with around £40 a week left afterwards. They also had a hardship grant scheme and final year students were given priority for that scheme provided they had taken out the maximum amount of student loan they were entitled to. I, however, went to a university were living costs were lower than average - those who chose to go to universities like Brighton wouldn't have had £40 a week left over after rent.

My course certainly wasn't '9-5' you could get occasional late lectures and much of the study time you could choose when you did it. There were 24/7 computer rooms and if you wanted to use one at a quiet time then weekend mornings were an excellent time to do that.

 

[CyrusWuff]

I've been trying to find out if this is an "under 30s" railcard, or 16 to 30 inclusive, but keep reading conflicting reports (sometimes on the same site!).

If it's strictly "under 30s" that would be a tad annoying given I only just turned 30 a month ago!

I suspect it'll be much the same as the existing 16-25 Railcard, namely you'll be able to buy one up until the day before your 30th birthday (week before your 28th birthday if they do a three year version) and it'll be valid until two days before your 31st birthday.

View attachment 39695
This was just posted on HM Treasury’s twitter feed. Not sure if an indication of the actual colours or just a generic image.

I suspect it may be generic, given Green is traditionally the colour for the Disabled Persons Railcard.