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

[rwebster]

I'm slightly dismayed, as an SG13 resident (closest station Hertford East), to see no mention of any SG postcodes being within the trial area. Most of SG9-SG14 - covering the area from Hertford/Ware up to Buntingford - is in Greater Anglia Land.

Has anyone spotted other parts of the Greater Anglia network that aren't in the trial?

 

[Rover]

The trial is apparently limited to just 10,000 so there will inevitably be areas of Greater Anglia that won't be included, looks like you're just unlucky.

 

[rwebster]

The trial is apparently limited to just 10,000 so there will inevitably be areas of Greater Anglia that won't be included, looks like you're just unlucky.

It's been billed as the whole Greater Anglia area, hence my confusion.

I tweeted Rail Delivery Group, and they've since confirmed that SG13 will be eligible for the trial - so it must have been an error in their press release.

 

[Be3G]

It's interesting (and from my point of view, pleasing) that they've included E4 in the list: the only stations in this postcode are London Overground ones, but we're not too far from Ponders End station in EN3. I thought I was the only person from this area who bothered to use that station… (although I expect a lot more will do if/when Crossrail 2 happens)!

 

[telstarbox]

Apparently they've included all EC postcodes which helps if you work in the City.

 

[rwebster]

The trial seemingly excludes any 'N' postcodes, despite several having Greater Anglia services - N9 (Edmonton Green), N15 (Seven Sisters), N17 (Tottenham Hale and Northumberland Park) and N18 (Angel Road).

However, I see Greater Anglia are now actively promoting the 26-30 Railcard trial on their website - so perhaps it's not quite as in demand as might have been thought.

 

[A Challenge]

The Independent are running an article on the new 26-30 railcard, not sure how it's an exclusive, but there you go!

Millennial railcard goes on sale tomorrow

Exclusive: 26-30 Railcard goes on sale on Tuesday; journalist from The Independent who turns 31 on Wednesday hopes to grab one

 

[TheDavibob]

The BBC have an article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43374187

A nationwide trial of the so-called millennial railcard begins on Tuesday but card numbers will be limited.

The one-year railcard for 26 to 30-year-olds will cost £30 and offer a third off most fares in England, Wales and Scotland.

Only 10,000 will be released - enough for one in 500 of the eligible population - and the cost of some peak time travel will not be reduced.

The nationwide launch follows a trial across the Greater Anglia network.

Another 10,000 railcards were sold during that trial.

The new discount card was announced in Chancellor Philip Hammond's Budget in November, but received a mixed response from its target audience.

Railcards were first introduced as a way for train companies to help fill seats during off-peak times. The card for 16 to 25-year-olds has existed in one form or another since 1974.

So still a trial, rather limited availability, and still app-only, etc. And still only in one-year batches.

 

[RJ]

Point to note is there is no minimum fare easement during July and August.

Still a great development, I'll try and get one when the time comes and if it is ever made available in a physical format.

 

[sarahj]

bumf

Rail Delivery Group Limited Registered Office, 2nd Floor, 200 Aldersgate Street, London EC1A 4HD
www.raildeliverygroup.com 020 7841 8000 Registered in England and Wales No. 08176197
STAFF BRIEF
26-30 Railcard
National Extension
06 March 2018
26-30 RAILCARD LAUNCH
From March 2018, National Rail will be expanding the trial of the 26-30 Railcard to eligible customers living across Great Britain.
There will be no fundamental differences between the 26-30 Railcards released during the Greater Anglia trial and those during the National trial. As the Railcard will be available to customers across the whole of Great Britain, the likelihood of interactions with Railcard holders will increase for front line staff. The process for checking Railcards will remain unchanged.mid
The Rail Delivery Group are re-issuing the below brief, which has been updated with details around the trial expansion.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The 26-30 Railcard will still be based on the current 16-25 Railcard offer, targeted at an extended age range, with a few minor differences. See key information below:
 Available as a 1-year Railcard only (3-year Railcard not available)
 Available as a Digital Railcard only, stored in the ‘Railcard’ app
 Railcard sales volume will be extended by a further 10,000, for the remainder of the 12-month trial, available to customers living across Great Britain.
 During the trial, customers will be able to use the 26-30 Railcard to buy discounted travel (1/3 off) across the whole National Rail network
 Available only to customers buying the Railcard online; exclusively through:
www.26-30railcard.co.uk
 The cost of a 1-year Railcard is £30, in line with other 1-year Railcards.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The ‘26-30 Railcard’ discount type may not yet be available at all points of purchase (Ticket Offices/TVMs/online). Where it is available, customers should apply this discount. Where it is not available, customers should choose a 16-25 discounted ticket. Until the correct discount type is available via all channels and retailers, 26-30 Railcard holders travelling with a 16-25 discounted ticket should be treated as using a valid discount for their Railcard type. If you are in doubt, please follow the revenue protection guidelines set by your TOC or contact your line manager.
Rail Delivery Group Limited Registered Office, 2nd Floor, 200 Aldersgate Street, London EC1A 4HD
www.raildeliverygroup.com 020 7841 8000 Registered in England and Wales No. 08176197
HOW IS THIS SIMILAR TO 16-25 RAILCARD?
 26-30 Railcard holders will get 1/3 off Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak Standard class fares, as well as Advance fares in both Standard and First Class, across the whole National Rail network.
 Between 04:30 and 10:00 Monday to Friday, a £12.00 minimum fare will be in applied to all Single and Return tickets.
 The 26-30 Railcard will be accepted by all Train Operating Companies who operate passenger Railway services in Great Britain, (except Eurostar).  1/3 off both individual Off-Peak fares and Off-Peak daily caps, when the Oyster card has been registered for Railcard discounts. No discount on Oyster pay as you go Peak fares.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT TO THE 16-25 RAILCARD?
 The 26-30 Railcard will only be available to customers who are aged 26-30 (inclusive)
 The 26-30 Railcard will only be available as a digital Railcard; not a physical Railcard
 The 26-30 Railcard will only be available as a 1-year Railcard; no 3-year option
 The 26-30 Railcard will only be available to mature students aged 26-30. Other mature students will continue to purchase 16-25 Railcards
 The 26-30 Railcard will be exclusively available to buy online, and cannot be purchased at stations, telesales, or Licensed Retailers.
 During the trial period, an increased limit of 20,000 26-30 Railcards will be available for sale, starting in February 2018.
 There will be NO July and August easement to the £12.00 minimum fare. Minimum fares apply all year; therefore mature students aged between 26-30 who qualify for a 16-25 Railcard, should continue to purchase the 16-25 Railcard.
 When available, customers will be able to travel using both 26-30 Railcard discounted tickets and 16-25 Railcard discounted tickets, to cover instances where 26-30 Railcard discount is not yet available on all TVMs/websites.
F

 

[Iskra]

When you go on that website to buy one, it says they aren't available yet...

Edit: I now see it's from tomorrow

 

[mikeg]

Does anyone know what time today they will be on sale? Stayed up til midnight and have been constantly refreshing my browser, doubt they've gone within less than a few seconds.

 

[johntea]

I've heard around 10am, funnily enough

My question is I turn 30 in June, but from what I've read I should still be able to apply up until June 2019 (my 31st birthday)?

 

[ainsworth74]

Yes as per other railcards you can buy until just before your 31st birthday. Just as you could by a 16-25 the say before your 26th birthday (like my local ticket clerk advised me to do!)

 

[AM9]

bumf

Rail Delivery Group Limited Registered Office, 2nd Floor, 200 Aldersgate Street, London EC1A 4HD
www.raildeliverygroup.com 020 7841 8000 Registered in England and Wales No. 08176197
STAFF BRIEF
26-30 Railcard
National Extension
06 March 2018
26-30 RAILCARD LAUNCH
From March 2018, National Rail will be expanding the trial of the 26-30 Railcard to eligible customers living across Great Britain.
There will be no fundamental differences between the 26-30 Railcards released during the Greater Anglia trial and those during the National trial. As the Railcard will be available to customers across the whole of Great Britain, the likelihood of interactions with Railcard holders will increase for front line staff. The process for checking Railcards will remain unchanged.mid
The Rail Delivery Group are re-issuing the below brief, which has been updated with details around the trial expansion.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The 26-30 Railcard will still be based on the current 16-25 Railcard offer, targeted at an extended age range, with a few minor differences. See key information below:
 Available as a 1-year Railcard only (3-year Railcard not available)
 Available as a Digital Railcard only, stored in the ‘Railcard’ app
 Railcard sales volume will be extended by a further 10,000, for the remainder of the 12-month trial, available to customers living across Great Britain.
 During the trial, customers will be able to use the 26-30 Railcard to buy discounted travel (1/3 off) across the whole National Rail network
 Available only to customers buying the Railcard online; exclusively through:
www.26-30railcard.co.uk
 The cost of a 1-year Railcard is £30, in line with other 1-year Railcards.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The ‘26-30 Railcard’ discount type may not yet be available at all points of purchase (Ticket Offices/TVMs/online). Where it is available, customers should apply this discount. Where it is not available, customers should choose a 16-25 discounted ticket. Until the correct discount type is available via all channels and retailers, 26-30 Railcard holders travelling with a 16-25 discounted ticket should be treated as using a valid discount for their Railcard type. If you are in doubt, please follow the revenue protection guidelines set by your TOC or contact your line manager.
Rail Delivery Group Limited Registered Office, 2nd Floor, 200 Aldersgate Street, London EC1A 4HD
www.raildeliverygroup.com 020 7841 8000 Registered in England and Wales No. 08176197
HOW IS THIS SIMILAR TO 16-25 RAILCARD?
 26-30 Railcard holders will get 1/3 off Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak Standard class fares, as well as Advance fares in both Standard and First Class, across the whole National Rail network.
 Between 04:30 and 10:00 Monday to Friday, a £12.00 minimum fare will be in applied to all Single and Return tickets.
 The 26-30 Railcard will be accepted by all Train Operating Companies who operate passenger Railway services in Great Britain, (except Eurostar).  1/3 off both individual Off-Peak fares and Off-Peak daily caps, when the Oyster card has been registered for Railcard discounts. No discount on Oyster pay as you go Peak fares.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT TO THE 16-25 RAILCARD?
 The 26-30 Railcard will only be available to customers who are aged 26-30 (inclusive)
 The 26-30 Railcard will only be available as a digital Railcard; not a physical Railcard
 The 26-30 Railcard will only be available as a 1-year Railcard; no 3-year option
 The 26-30 Railcard will only be available to mature students aged 26-30. Other mature students will continue to purchase 16-25 Railcards
 The 26-30 Railcard will be exclusively available to buy online, and cannot be purchased at stations, telesales, or Licensed Retailers.
 During the trial period, an increased limit of 20,000 26-30 Railcards will be available for sale, starting in February 2018.
 There will be NO July and August easement to the £12.00 minimum fare. Minimum fares apply all year; therefore mature students aged between 26-30 who qualify for a 16-25 Railcard, should continue to purchase the 16-25 Railcard.
 When available, customers will be able to travel using both 26-30 Railcard discounted tickets and 16-25 Railcard discounted tickets, to cover instances where 26-30 Railcard discount is not yet available on all TVMs/websites.
F

As the offer is for a 'digital' railcard only, does that imply a responsibility on the holder to maintain the device on which it is held to be operational whenever travelling with the benefit of its discount? If so, would a flat battery on a smartphone be considered the same a forgetting to carry a paper/plastic railcard, i.e. the discount would be removed and an excess charge levied?

 

[mikeg]

Well it's available now. But I keep getting error 503! Why didn't ATOC realise there'd be this level of demand?

 

[Coolzac]

Same! Very frustrating.

 

[yorksrob]

I hope they see the error of their ways and make a physical railcard available once the trial period has finished.

 

[bb21]

I hope they see the error of their ways and make a physical railcard available once the trial period has finished.

The digital Railcard is the way forward, unfortunately.

 

[yorksrob]

The digital Railcard is the way forward, unfortunately.

The digital Railcard is the way forward, unfortunately.

Unfortunately indeed. I hope the Dales Railcard doesn't succumb.

 

[mikeg]

The digital Railcard is the way forward, unfortunately.

But why? Also what happens if the service goes down (not the users fault). This is all very anti-passenger but to what end? Could it be that ATOC like to frustrate people and get them penalty fared for the sake of it?

 

[ainsworth74]

But I keep getting error 503! Why didn't ATOC realise there'd be this level of demand?

Because there was no way of knowing! I mean yes all the publicity has said that there would only be 10,000 and yes all the literature has told people to be quick to buy it or miss out but there was clearly no way of knowing that people would rush to buy them as soon as they went on sale. It was totally unforeseeable

 

[Chester1]

Well it's available now. But I keep getting error 503! Why didn't ATOC realise there'd be this level of demand?

Its the same for everyone. I suspect a decent minority of the 5 million eligible are trying to access at once. Few sites can handle a million people trying to view. The entire idea was stupid and always going to result in chaos. Hopefully there will be a political backlash that forces a full launch by the end of the year and eventually a national railcard for everyone not eligible for one but at a much higher price.

 

[ainsworth74]

Well I finally made it in and got as far as uploading a photo aaaaaaaand it crashed again

 

[marks87]

But why? Also what happens if the service goes down (not the users fault). This is all very anti-passenger but to what end? Could it be that ATOC like to frustrate people and get them penalty fared for the sake of it?

Anti-passenger? It's very pro-passenger - it reduces the likelihood of accidentally finding you don't have your railcard with you and being hit with needing to buy a full-price ticket or, worse, a penalty fare.

The railcard doesn't require an internet connection to work - the only requirement is that your phone has connected to the internet in the previous 72 hours before trying to use it. It's not entirely dissimilar to electronic boarding passes for flights, albeit they can be always be used once added (i.e. there's no further need to connect to the internet between obtaining the pass and boarding the flight).

This whole anti-technology attitude is ridiculous. The sooner that all tickets and railcards can be bought and stored electronically, the better.

 

[Bletchleyite]

the only requirement is that your phone has connected to the internet in the previous 72 hours before trying to use it

That's not very transparent. Why that requirement?

 

[mikeg]

Anti-passenger? It's very pro-passenger - it reduces the likelihood of accidentally finding you don't have your railcard with you and being hit with needing to buy a full-price ticket or, worse, a penalty fare.

The railcard doesn't require an internet connection to work - the only requirement is that your phone has connected to the internet in the previous 72 hours before trying to use it. It's not entirely dissimilar to electronic boarding passes for flights, albeit they can be always be used once added (i.e. there's no further need to connect to the internet between obtaining the pass and boarding the flight).

This whole anti-technology attitude is ridiculous. The sooner that all tickets and railcards can be bought and stored electronically, the better.

Actually I'm not in the slightest anti-technology but believe we should be smart with dumb technology before being dumb with smart technology. What about those who don't like Android or iOS? Incidentally I've never forgotten my railcard and certainly never had it run out of battery. Also have you actually read the T&Cs for the 26-30 railcard? They are indeed anti-passenger in that if the service is unavailable they basically intend to disclaim all responsibility and leave you high and dry.

 

[marks87]

That's not very transparent. Why that requirement?

What do you mean it's not transparent?

It's in the FAQs on the website.

Actually I'm not in the slightest anti-technology but believe we should be smart with dumb technology before being dumb with smart technology. What about those who don't like Android or iOS?

And what percentage of phone users in the target age bracket don't have a device running Android or iOS? Very, very few I'd wager.

Incidentally I've never forgotten my railcard and certainly never had it run out of battery.

Good for you.

But people do forget things like that. Or lose them. People rarely forget their phones these days, and if they lose it then they've got bigger things to worry about than a railcard.

Also have you actually read the T&Cs for the 26-30 railcard? They are indeed anti-passenger in that if the service is unavailable they basically intend to disclaim all responsibility and leave you high and dry.

You've misread the conditions.

They take no responsibility for the app essentially not working on your phone. That's not the same as the service being unavailable - indeed, the service doesn't need to be available at the point where you use the railcard.

Essentially, they're indemnifying themselves against the app not working on your phone, and/or you not being able to download the railcard. But it takes a really special kind of stupid to not ensure the app works and the railcard is present before boarding a train with a ticket where it's required.

 

[Bletchleyite]

What do you mean it's not transparent?

It's in the FAQs on the website.

It's non-obvious.

 

[marks87]

It's non-obvious.

You speak as though the majority of requirements/T&Cs on the railway are obvious.

But, again, what percentage of smartphone owners won't have their device connected to the internet at some point in the 72 hours before trying to use the railcard?

This is another attempt to find a problem where there isn't one.