Railcard expires before return journey

[maddeningcrowds]

My friend's railcard expires the day before they are due to return on a return ticket purchased (and outward dated) before the card expires. Is this OK?

 

[Mike395]

Nope, sadly not

The railcard must be in date at the time of travel.

If he's going to continue using the rail network a lot over the next year, it'd probably be a good idea to just renew it - the savings really do add up!

 

[Intermodal]

He would need to acquire another railcard or excess the ticket to be restriction-free I believe.

 

[SS4]

Nope, they can travel out but they can't return.

However, they can buy a railcard immediately before travelling.

 

[maddeningcrowds]

Nope, they can travel out but they can't return.

However, they can buy a railcard immediately before travelling.

Is it quick / fuss-free to renew a railcard? She's not so confident at dealing with paperwork and she'll be on her own.

 

[Mike395]

Is it quick / fuss-free to renew a railcard? She's not so confident at dealing with paperwork and she'll be on her own.

What railcard is it? For most, she can fill in the paperwork beforehand (it's downloadable off the internet) and just hand it to the ticket office

Alternatively, if its not within the next week or so, she'd get a more durable railcard by ordering it online if available (again, depending on the railcard type)

 

[yorkie]

Is it quick / fuss-free to renew a railcard? She's not so confident at dealing with paperwork and she'll be on her own.

Depends which Railcard it is. Other than Disabled, it should be easy, though for 16-25 or Senior, some proof of entitlement is required.

 

[maddeningcrowds]

Depends which Railcard it is. Other than Disabled, it should be easy, though for 16-25 or Senior, some proof of entitlement is required.

Thanks, it is 16-25. I found the form online so that should help.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Depends which Railcard it is. Other than Disabled, it should be easy, though for 16-25 or Senior, some proof of entitlement is required.

I think that if its a Senior Railcard, then proof of entitlement follows naturally from posession of a recently expired (and not renewed) card.
i.e. once some one has qualified for a Senior, there is nothing that can then render then un-qualified for a subsequent Senior. Is there?

 

[Masbroughlad]

If he's going to continue using the rail network a lot over the next year, it'd probably be a good idea to just renew it - the savings really do add up!

Wonder if there will ever be a railcard for frequent users of trains? I am sure if ATOC promoted such a card it would encourage more rail travel. I'd save a fortune if they did.

 

[snail]

I'd save a fortune if they did.

There's your answer.

If everyone had a railcard, the lost revenue would have to be recovered from somewhere so fares would increase.

 

[Flamingo]

My friend's railcard expires the day before they are due to return on a return ticket purchased (and outward dated) before the card expires. Is this OK?

They need to excess it at a ticket-office before boarding if they can't get a new railcard (bringing the application for the new railcard is not enough); If unmanned, then find the guard after boarding and explain the problem and that there was no opportunity to excess it earlier.

The excess will be whatever the discount was for the TOTAL price (approx 1/2 again of what was paid originally), not like a change of route / overdistance where only the single journey involved is charged (if you understand what I mean).

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Officially speaking, there is no excess for it, a new ticket would have to be bought with the discounted one able to be refunded minus an admin charge. However, I suspect that many staff would do the excess instead (less paperwork!).

 

[Flamingo]

Officially speaking, there is no excess for it, a new ticket would have to be bought with the discounted one able to be refunded minus an admin charge. However, I suspect that many staff would do the excess instead (less paperwork!).

Would a "change of ticket type" excess not cover it?

 

[jon0844]

There's your answer.

If everyone had a railcard, the lost revenue would have to be recovered from somewhere so fares would increase.

But not everyone would buy one, or travel enough to justify getting one. A national railcard could be sold for £50-100 per annum, which would be great for those who travel a lot, or encourage those who travel a bit to travel more.

They work just fine abroad, so it's not as if there's any need to argue a business case either.

 

[Flamingo]

Please, not another bloody railcard for people to leave at home, or in their other wallet, or expire!

I'll only think they are a good idea if part of the T&C (and the relevant alteration to railway bylaws) that failure to carry one means that the guard can apply an electric cattle prod to the passengers genitals for a period of time not less than twenty seconds. Hopefully the screams and smell of sizzling flesh will remind people to carry it, and for once act as a real deterrent to fare-dodgers!

(Before you think I am joking - I'm not!)

 

[clagmonster]

Was the original railcard bought online or at a station. If the latter, and they are still 16-25, they should take the railcard, photcard (assuming it is still a likeness and legible) and a completed application form to a staffed station booking office where the clerk should renew it without a problem for the sum of £28.00. Make sure they do this before commencing their return journey, else it will be a full fare ticket on board otherwise.

If the original railcard was bought online, they can either renew online if practical, or take a completed form, proof of age (birth certificate, passport ofdrivers licence I believe are accepted) passport photograph and £28.00 to a booking office where they will quite happily issue one.

 

[jon0844]

(Before you think I am joking - I'm not!)

Why would anyone think you were joking? It sounds like as good an idea, better even, as anything else any TOC, the DfT or ATOC has come up with in recent years!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Would a "change of ticket type" excess not cover it?

Not officially (unless you do actually change the ticket type).

Although in this case we are talking about return fares (and therefore not Advance fares), how would you apply it to Advance fares? particularly on the day of travel before departure (when you can't book them).

 

[Greenback]

But not everyone would buy one, or travel enough to justify getting one. A national railcard could be sold for £50-100 per annum, which would be great for those who travel a lot, or encourage those who travel a bit to travel more.

They work just fine abroad, so it's not as if there's any need to argue a business case either.

Correct. I suspect that revenue overall would increase, as there would money coming in from the sale of the cards, as well as the extra passengers attracted on to rail as the reduced fares are more competitive with other forsm of transport.

I suspect resisitance to it is because some TOC's feel they will lose out compared to others, and the fact that some TOC's don't really have the capacity for extra passengers!

 

[island]

Would a "change of ticket type" excess not cover it?

The TIS would probably issue it, but I think one isn't supposed to issue such excesses.