To what extent are railcards simply about market segmentation?

[Egg Centric]

This is not an easy question for me to phrase but I'll give it a go:

To what extent from the railway's point of view are railcards about market segmentation, such that the revenue from the railcard itself is incidental?

(if my question is understood some may see where I'm going with this )

 

[yorksrob]

Too much, in my opinion.

Railcards should be more about encouraging repeat use of the railway through recovering the sunk cost, rather than market segragation.

 

[Sonic1234]

They seem to be a mix of market segregation, extra subsidy for some groups, a political incentive, an incentive to travel (or travel off peak) targeted at certain groups, a way of correcting fares to "normal" in some regions, a marketing tool etc... it's a mess with no clear aim any more.

 

[AM9]

They seem to be a mix of market segregation, extra subsidy for some groups, a political incentive, an incentive to travel (or travel off peak) targeted at certain groups, a way of correcting fares to "normal" in some regions, a marketing tool etc... it's a mess with no clear aim any more.

Plus a method of doing much of the above whilst minimising fares abstraction, particularly from groups of passengers who would use the service anyway. That is why restricting the reductions to certain age or demographic groups is justified.

 

[Cdd89]

It may be segmentation in the sense that a resident can easily justify the fee, but a visitor would be less likely to recoup it. So a tourist tax element, as it were.