You can buy a Family & Friends Railcard at any National Rail staffed station ticket office or National Rail-licensed Travel Agent. You can do it on the day you are travelling, just ensure the ticket office is open.
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In most cases, your digital Network Railcard will be available to use straight away. A download code will be sent to your registered email address, along with instructions on how to download your digital Network Railcard.
If you have purchased a digital 16-25 Railcard, in most cases it will be available to use straight away. A download code will be sent to your registered email address, along with instructions on how to download your Railcard.
If you paid for 'Special Delivery' and placed your order before 15:45pm, your Railcard will be delivered within two days (Monday to Thursday) or three days (Friday to Sunday). If you are applying as a mature student please allow an additional 5 working days for your application to be reviewed and approved.
If you are travelling by train on a ticket with a Railcard discount, you must travel with your valid Railcard. If you forget your Railcard you will either be required to buy a new ticket or you may on certain services be liable for a Penalty Fare.
Most Railcards can be purchased online with the option to download as a digital Railcard to your smartphone or device with our Railcard App. Some 1-year Railcards can also be purchased at any National Rail staffed ticket office.
You can also apply for your Railcard by visiting any staffed station ticket office and get your Railcard on the same day! Just be sure to allow yourself plenty of time between purchasing your Railcard and when you need to depart for your journey.
While railcards might seem like an expensive investment for those who don't regularly travel by train, do not underestimate their worth. Most railcards mean you could save up to 1/3 on train fares.
This depends on the type of railcard some railcards are only valid on Off-peak fares such as the 26-30 railcard, others are available to use all day such as the Senior railcard.
We'll automatically apply your Railcard savings and show you the discounted price. Book your train tickets as a digital ticket, or to be collected at the station. Bring the device your digital Railcard and train tickets are stored on to show to a ticket inspector if asked.
Follow. Unfortunately not. You should always check that the discount you expected has been applied before completing your ticket purchase. If you want to apply the discount once the ticket has been bought you will have to cancel your ticket and start again.
Why is no Railcard discount showing for my ticket? The simple answer is that not every Railcard is valid all of the time. Some of them are only valid in some parts of the country and others are only accepted at certain times of day.
If you are aged 26-30 years old and still in full-time education, you can choose whether to buy a 26-30 Railcard, or buy a 16-25 Railcard as a mature student. Mature students who are over the age of 30, can only choose the 16-25 Railcard option and apply as a mature student.