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Passengers unable to access digital railcards - if you're having problems here's what to do

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Callum Mason
Callum Mason
News Reporter
30 May 2018

Some rail passengers who have a digital railcard on their phone are unable to access them unless they update their Railcard app.

Many are reporting getting a message saying "Oops. Something went wrong" when they try and open their Railcard app this morning.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train companies, has confirmed to MSE that customers may need to manually update their app in order to fix the issue - but the app does not currently tell users this.

If you are planning to use your railcard on a journey, make sure you complete the update before, as you may not be able to access the internet to update the app mid-trip.

See our guide to cut the cost of your fares.

What are rail passengers saying?

Rail passengers have taken to social media this morning to complain about the Railcard app not working, leaving them unable to access their railcards.

Here is what some customers have said:

My railcard isn't showing - how can I fix this?

You need to make sure you have the latest version of the Railcard app before your next journey. Here's how to update it:

  • On Android – open the Google Play Store, tap 'Menu', then 'My apps & games'. Apps with an update available are marked, 'update', and you can click this button to update them.

  • On iPhone – open the app store, search for the Railcard app, click on it, and then click the blue 'update' button.

If you're mid-journey and can't do this, there appears to be a hack which allows you to access your railcard without updating the app. MSE Megan found that when she turned Wi-fi off on her phone and re-opened the Railcard app, her railcard reappeared, despite her not updating the app.

On social media, others are reporting this as well:

There's no guarantee this will work, so if at all possible, update your app before your next journey.

What can I do if I forget my railcard?

As of last year, train passengers who forget their railcards can claim a refund if they're forced to pay a higher fare while travelling on discounted journeys – but you can only claim back cash once a year.

If this happens to you, contact the train company running the service, via email, phone or letter.

Provide as much information as possible including any receipts for the extra fare you paid, copies of your railcard and original tickets, and any other information such as the time of the train's departure and the date you were travelling on.

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Passengers unable to access digital railcards - if you're having problems here's what to do

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