Military veterans to get a third off train travel with new railcard
A new railcard offering military veterans cheaper fares will be launched on Armistice Day (11 November) this year, the Government has announced.
The card will give a third off most train travel to more than 830,000 veterans not covered by existing discounts.
It will cost £21 for an introductory period, before the price is increased to £30.
Full details on the card are yet to be released, but it will broadly work in the same way as other railcards, so restrictions to its use will apply.
See Cheap Train Tickets to save cash on your rail fare.
How will the new railcard work?
It's nearly 10 months until the railcard is released, so there aren't yet full details on how it'll work, but here's what we know so far:
It'll work on most tickets. You'll get a third off anytime, off-peak, super off-peak and advance single and return tickets.
We don't know if there'll be a minimum fare on weekday mornings. On some other railcards, this applies between 4.30am and 10am Monday to Friday, except on bank holidays. But as details are scant, we don't yet know if this will be the case.
We don't know if it'll give you a discount on London travel. This detail is still being discussed with Transport for London.
What does the Government say?
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "Every part of society should honour the debt we owe those who've served our country. I'm proud that the Department for Transport, together with other government colleagues and the rail industry, is doing its bit.
"This railcard will help open up opportunities to veterans, whether through employment and retraining, or by strengthening links with friends and family. I believe that enabling former service personnel to travel more easily is the least we can do."
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21 January 2025
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