Hi Guys, Sadly my time with my 16-25 card comes to an end this year, I was wondering whats the next best card I can use or get? I travel alot on trains but not excessively, I dont mind paying full fares for local journeys but Bolton to London or MKC is what i dont want to be paying excessive amounts for. Any ideas?
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Best Railcard from when 27?
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bb21
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Bolton to London or MKC can only be discounted by a Family & Friends at this age, if you can get a child to go with you.
No child then no Railcard discount. Sorry.
If you are in full-time education then you can continue to get 16-25 discounts.
No child then no Railcard discount. Sorry.
If you are in full-time education then you can continue to get 16-25 discounts.
I suggest the Royal Navy. You can then get a shiny new Forces Railcard. You won't regret it - you also get free travel on the Grey Funnel Line shipping services.
Lots of career opportunities I signed up as an Engineering Artificer Apprentice for a while. Short service commissions are also available if you show some leadership potential.
After that you can join the railway to get some free & reduced travel facilities.
Just a thought.
Lots of career opportunities I signed up as an Engineering Artificer Apprentice for a while. Short service commissions are also available if you show some leadership potential.
After that you can join the railway to get some free & reduced travel facilities.
Just a thought.
hairyhandedfool
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Or you could work for the railway and get 75% off* rail fares across the country aswell as free travel on your chosen TOC** and discounts on European rail travel.
*Anytime tickets and some Rovers, Rangers and Sleeper Advance tickets. You may have to work for a short time before being granted this privilege.
**Many companies have reciprocal arrangements with other TOCs and not all staff are commission hunting monsters.
*Anytime tickets and some Rovers, Rangers and Sleeper Advance tickets. You may have to work for a short time before being granted this privilege.
**Many companies have reciprocal arrangements with other TOCs and not all staff are commission hunting monsters.
No railcard for you - instead you must pay full fare, which will rise every year until eventually you give up and drive.
Quite whats so special about somebody who is 25 which means they can get 1/3 off where those who are 27 cannot, I've no idea.
Quite whats so special about somebody who is 25 which means they can get 1/3 off where those who are 27 cannot, I've no idea.
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Is there not some form of register for this?
telstarbox
Established Member
There are other ways to save money on tickets if you don't have a Railcard, depending on the journey you are making.
Eng274
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If you are fortunate and happen to look young for your age, sometimes the person at the ticket office will just renew the railcard without so much as a challenge for proof of age or proof of full time study... Not saying where though 
causton
Established Member
If you are fortunate and happen to look young for your age, sometimes the person at the ticket office will just renew the railcard without so much as a challenge for proof of age or proof of full time study... Not saying where though
Hmm... does that make the railcard invalid? I know the eligibility should be obvious by the name but what if you didn't realise you couldn't renew it, and tried to, and succeeded, then someone found out you shouldn't have it? Would you be liable or the ticket clerk?
tractakid
Member
If you are fortunate and happen to look young for your age, sometimes the person at the ticket office will just renew the railcard without so much as a challenge for proof of age or proof of full time study... Not saying where though
If someone does that, on their conscience be it. It's fairly obvious by the name of the railcard that renewal beyond 25 is illegitimate (except when in full time education of course). I would consider this defrauding the railway.
RJ
Established Member
Not forgetting marrying someone who works for the railways - I often inform people of this option when they comment on their ineligibility for discounts.
Lets back this thread right up.
Welcome to RailUK forums, a premier source of fare advice.
Is your 16-25 rail card expiring? Do you want to keep receiving discounts? The expects of RUK have the answer, or three.
1. Get someone pregnant
2. Join the navy
3. Marry a member of railstaff.
Suddenly it feels like Yahoo answers in here...
Welcome to RailUK forums, a premier source of fare advice.
Is your 16-25 rail card expiring? Do you want to keep receiving discounts? The expects of RUK have the answer, or three.
1. Get someone pregnant
2. Join the navy
3. Marry a member of railstaff.
Suddenly it feels like Yahoo answers in here...
Eagle
Established Member
IanD
Established Member
4. Become disabled?
5. Enrol in Further Education
Railcards for over 27s are readily available, for example
SBB (50% off)
NS (40% off in off-peak, or 20% off in peak/40% off in off-peak, or free travel at the weekends)
DB Bahncard (25% and 50% off versions)
Belgian Railways are so cheap they abolished their Railcards, since you can get 10 trips any distance for about £65.
Of course you can stick it out in the UK and pay through the nose.
SBB (50% off)
NS (40% off in off-peak, or 20% off in peak/40% off in off-peak, or free travel at the weekends)
DB Bahncard (25% and 50% off versions)
Belgian Railways are so cheap they abolished their Railcards, since you can get 10 trips any distance for about £65.
Of course you can stick it out in the UK and pay through the nose.
greatkingrat
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6. Move to Devon or Cornwall
Or onto the Settle - Carlisle line. Good discounts, infrequent services...
tsr
Established Member
7. Move to somewhere with a PERTIS machine, use it at a cost of 5p, then board DOO services only, and travel for a maximum of 2 hours to any unstaffed station. And hope you don't see an RPI!
Please note this is not an especially sensible or serious suggestion!
Please note this is not an especially sensible or serious suggestion!
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Lets back this thread right up.
Welcome to RailUK forums, a premier source of fare advice.
Is your 16-25 rail card expiring? Do you want to keep receiving discounts? The expects of RUK have the answer, or three.
1. Get someone pregnant
2. Join the navy
3. Marry a member of railstaff.
Suddenly it feels like Yahoo answers in here...
You forgot borrow a child for a family and friends discount
Once upon a time, you had to be a full-time student. And once upon a time you were probably in a settled job by age 25 (and in the Family and Friends Railcard bracket too!). It's an arbitrary cut-off, but it's used by govt. (benefits etc), local authorities etc. (youth work, IIRC - it's certainly the cutoff for the Church of England youth department round here) point.
Given that the YP railcard is a commercial product, the age limit could presumably be increased...
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You forgot borrow a child for a family and friends discount
I think that's a variant of (1).
Or - become a mature student. Only costs £9k pa less bursary. I did, but before tuition fees.
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Mind you if they increased it beyond 25 it would probably start becoming unfair. People of below 25 have quite possibly not started their career yet, but if it became 30 or something like that, people over 30 in less-well-paid jobs would quite rightly feel aggrieved that affluent late-twentysomethings can get discounted fares.
It should IMO stay as under 25/students or become open to everyone.
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PermitToTravel
Established Member
7. Move to somewhere with a PERTIS machine, use it at a cost of 5p, then board DOO services only, and travel for a maximum of 2 hours to any unstaffed station. And hope you don't see an RPI!
Please note this is not an especially sensible or serious suggestion!
Although it was a workable one before all the PERTIS machines disappeared, with no TVMs to replace them
Now it won't even cost 5p!
andrewkeith5
Member
It's also a surprisingly good motivation to do better and get promoted! Leaving University now seems to mean a colossal bill each month for seeing all the friends that used to live just around the corner (or in the same house!). My railcard gives me a 30% discount now, so by 26/27 I need to be able to increase my trains budget by roughly 40% in order to be able to continue to be able to afford to see my friends :P (not including 6% a year fare rises...)
RJ
Established Member
'Fraid not - I'm quite old fashioned when it comes to that sort of thing
That said, when people realised that I was getting various "special" Oyster cards in my own right, I had all kinds of offers for the nominee pass, ranging from marriage, to cohabitation to attempting to pressure me to put in various types of fraudulent applications for one. I gracefully declined all of them.
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