Railcards and cheaper fares
Senior Railcard: a third off from 60
Type the usual fare of your trips and how many you make: the tool shows when the card has paid for itself.
Does a railcard pay for itself?
Pays for itself after
3 trips
| Railcard (1 year) | £35 |
| Saving per trip | £12.67 |
| Net over a year | £28.35 |
Cannot be used for weekday morning peak trips inside the London and South East area, public holidays aside.
The Senior Railcard is for anyone aged 60 or over. It costs £35 for a year or £80 for three, and takes a third off Standard and First Class Anytime, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak and Advance fares across Great Britain, with no minimum fare at any time. Proof of age is needed when you first buy it, with a passport-style photo for the digital card; renewing through a Railcard account avoids a new check. The one restriction concerns London and the South East: the card is not valid during the morning peak for journeys between two stations inside the Network Railcard area, except on public holidays, and peak times vary locally. Elsewhere in Great Britain there is no time limit. It also discounts Off-Peak pay as you go on Oyster once loaded, Anytime Day Travelcards bought with a rail ticket from outside London's zones, and the airport express trains. On a usual fare of £38, each trip saves £12.67 and the card is repaid on the 3rd trip.
Delay Repay on a return ticket
You would get
£29
| Share of the return fare | 50% |
| Outward band | 60 min and over |
| Return band | none |
| Capped at | £58 |
Schemes and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Prices and savings
| Usual fare | With the card | Saving | Trips to repay a 1-year card |
|---|---|---|---|
| £15 | £10 | £5 | 7 |
| £25 | £16.67 | £8.33 | 5 |
| £38 | £25.33 | £12.67 | 3 |
| £60 | £40 | £20 | 2 |
| £110 | £73.33 | £36.67 | 1 |
The London and South East morning limit
In the weekday morning peak, the Senior Railcard cannot be used for trips between two stations inside the Network Railcard area, from Monday to Friday, except public holidays. Outside that area, or on a journey that starts or ends outside it, there is no limit. Each operator sets its own morning peak, so a 09:15 train may be fine on one route and excluded on another. When in doubt, travel a little later or check the easements published by Railcards.
Does a railcard pay for itself?
Pays for itself after
4 trips
| Railcard (1 year) | £35 |
| Saving per trip | £10 |
| Net over a year | £25 |
Minimum fare £12 before 10am Monday to Friday, except Advance tickets, public holidays and July and August.
Travelling as a couple
Two people over 60 can each hold a Senior Railcard, for £70 together, or share one Two Together Railcard for £35. The Two Together card is cheaper but works only when both travel together and not before 09:30 on weekdays. If you often travel alone, two Senior cards are more flexible.
Longer trips and Delay Repay
On longer journeys with Off-Peak and Advance fares, a delay can be worth a good part of the fare. Compensation is calculated on the discounted price: a £58 return with Great Western Railway where the outward train is 65 minutes late pays £29. The tool under the citable block works out both legs, and the return ticket page explains it.
What the card does not cover
Season tickets, including Travelcard seasons, most London Underground and DLR tickets other than Oyster pay as you go, some promotions of individual operators, excursion and charter trains and most RailAir services are outside it. Caledonian Sleeper discounts apply to seated tickets and some rooms.
Buying it
The card can be bought online, as a digital or physical card, or at a staffed ticket office. Proof of age is needed at the first purchase, such as a passport or a UK driving licence, along with a passport-style photo for a digital card. Buying online and keeping a Railcard account means future renewals need no further identity check. Allow up to ten days for a card sent by standard post.
A year of trips
Take someone who visits family four times a year on returns of £70 and makes six shorter day trips at £20. Without the card the year costs £400; with it, £266.67, a saving of £133.33 before the price of the card. Because there is no minimum fare, even short off-peak hops count fully.
Other discounts with the card
Holders can load the discount onto an Oyster card to save on Off-Peak pay as you go fares on National Rail, the Underground and the DLR in London. Anytime Day Travelcards bought with a rail ticket from outside London's zones are discounted, subject to a minimum fare. Gatwick Express, Stansted Express and Heathrow Express accept the card.