Budget 2017 – Under 30s to benefit from new railcard giving young people THIRD off train tickets
The Chancellor announced the extension to the 16-25 year-old railcard in today's Budget
RAILCARDS offering discounts on train travel will be extended to people up to 30 years old, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced.
Philip Hammond confirmed the details of the widely expected extension to the 16-25 year-old railcard in his Budget today.
It follows a trial of the card on Greater Anglia trains which will now be rolled out nationally in Spring 2018.
The new card will cost £30, as The Sun revealed earlier this month, and will give travellers a third off ticket fares, although not on peak-time travel.
According to experts, extending the eligible age will open the discount up to around two million more people.
But discounts will not be available on the purchase of season tickets.
The Treasury believes that it will be cost neutral for train operators because offering the discount will encourage more people to travel by rail.
The Chancellor said that 4.5million more young people will benefit from the discount card.
How to save on rail fares
HERE'S how you can make sure you're getting the best deal on train tickets.
Book early - Train companies release advance tickets up to 12 weeks before you travel at discounted prices.
Get a third off with a railcard - National Rail offer a range of railcards that give you a discount on your travel. Not everyone is entitled to one though so it's best to check if you're covered.
Split your tickets - Book tickets for individual legs of the journey rather then one overall ticket. MoneySavingExpert has found that splitting the fare could save you hundreds of pounds. Don’t worry if you’re bad at maths because apps and websites like and will do the number crunching for you.
Check first class - The Sun Online found that on some journeys it's actually cheaper travelling in first class rather than standard. Take a look at the prices of both fares before handing over your money.
Jacqueline Starr, managing director of customer experience at the Rail Delivery Group, said: “It’s good news that government has chosen to build on the trial of a 26-30 Railcard by Greater Anglia on behalf of the wider industry.
"A key commitment in our long-term plan to change and improve is to boost communities by enabling more people to travel by train and that’s why we developed this proposal.”
More about the Budget 2017
Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: “The 26 - 30 railcard is welcome news for passengers and will help take some of the sting out of the fares rise in the New Year. Less than half of passengers are satisfied with the value for money of their journey and even fewer young people are satisfied.
BREXIT BUDGET Budget 2017 LIVE – all the latest news, updates and reaction to Philip Hammond’s crucial economic statement
“With regulated fares set to go up by 3.6 per cent in January it’s absolutely critical that the rail industry delivers a more reliable day-to-day service.”
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