Veterans Railcard - Companion

[Bensonby]

I have recently bought a veterans railcard for a couple of planned long-distance trips. I added my wife as my companion as I’m not likely to travel with anyone else. However, I am unlikely to do any other long distance trips in the near future. For shorter journeys I get free travel (Police officer travel scheme) so have no use of a railcard normally. I live in the Home Counties and often go into London.

The question is if my wife travels to London with me, is she entitled to use the discount, even if I’m not using the railcard?

The relevant sections of the T&C say that the companion has to travel with the railcard holder, but make not mention that we have to be travelling on the same ticket type. Or, indeed, that you both have to be using the railcard discount. I think by the letter of the T&C’s she’d be OK using the discount, but I’m not sure it’s in the spirit of the companion benefit, and I’m not convinced it wouldn’t be queried. Is there a definitive answer out there?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Apr 2025 ==

I’ve just seen this section in the T&C’s below the section that talks about companions, in an un-numbered section:

Discounted tickets purchased by a Veterans Railcard holder should be issued for travel for the same origin and destination and should normally be of the same ticket type (example all Off-Peak Returns).

I assume this referring to when a group of tickets are bought with the railcard (e.g. a companion and children). But it says “should” rather than “must”. So, I’m not really certain what it’s saying.

 

[father_jack]

I think you'd be ok- for example if the named cardholder on a Family and Friends had a valid ticket, say a season ticket or an undiscounted return portion they can still buy a Family Railcard discounted ticket for up to three other adults and four children.

From F&F conditions

4.3. To purchase discounted tickets, at least one cardholder and at least one child aged 5 to 15 years must be travelling together.

It just says "cardholder and one child must be travelling together".

From Veteran conditions

4.4 You can use your Railcard to buy discounted tickets for journeys on your own. You can also use your Railcard to buy discounted tickets for a named adult companion and up to four children travelling with you.

It's again just says you can use your railcard to buy tickets for others without saying you actually need to have a discounted ticket for yourself.

 

[Bensonby]

That’s my reading too, but I’m not sure it wouldn’t be queried.

 

[Haywain]

I'd be wary of reading the conditions of the Family & Friends Railcard and assuming that they apply to the Veterans Railcard in the same way.

 

[kieron]

That’s my reading too, but I’m not sure it wouldn’t be queried.

If you want clarity, it may be best to ask the Veterans Railcard team. Then you'd know, and you'd have something you can tell anyone who queries what you've done.

 

[Bensonby]

Good idea. I have emailed them and will post the reply.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Apr 2025 ==

The Veterans Railcard Team don’t seem to understand my query as they keep just repeating the wording of the T&C’s. I attach their initial reply, my clarification of the issue, and their further reply. Am I missing something? I don’t think my query is hard to understand and I don’t think it is answered in either of these emails??

 

[Bensonby]

Just seen that the update from the railcard team merged into my previous post. Despite following up, they either didn’t understand, or want to give me a definitive answer: merely repeated what was on the website.

 

[AlterEgo]

Reading between the lines they’re saying you have to purchase the same ticket type for yourself as your companion with your Veterans Railcard, but they are articulating it badly. This is in line with the spirit of the TnCs even if they are not explicitly spelled out; if you want a companion to get the same discount as you, you need to buy the same ticket.

I doubt anyone thought of your circumstances when drawing up the terms, to be fair.

 

[Bensonby]

I wouldn’t have thought it’s that niche an issue: someone holding a season ticket into town for work but holding the railcard for longer journeys, and sometimes being accompanied by their companion for leisure travel into town.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Reading between the lines they’re saying you have to purchase the same ticket type for yourself as your companion with your Veterans Railcard, but they are articulating it badly. This is in line with the spirit of the TnCs even if they are not explicitly spelled out; if you want a companion to get the same discount as you, you need to buy the same ticket.

I doubt anyone thought of your circumstances when drawing up the terms, to be fair.

I don't think it's reading between the lines, it says "should be the ame ticket type"

 

[AlterEgo]

I don't think it's reading between the lines, it says "should be the ame ticket type"

It’s much clearer for the service team to say “no, you can’t do that” though!

 

[Bensonby]

Exactly, and “should” doesn’t mean “must” and that phrase isn’t in a numbered paragraph like the rest of the T&C’s, so to me it’s unclear if that forms part of the contract.