Physical Railcard: we aim to dispatch your Railcard within one working day of you ordering it, but it's probably best to allow up to 5 working days for your Railcard to arrive.
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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.
You can get your Railcard in a digital format to be stored in the National Rail Railcard app on your phone or tablet, or as a physical card. You can use your Railcard to buy tickets online, at a ticket office, from a ticket machine, and over the phone.
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 bought your physical Railcard at a rail station, you must carry your separate 16-25 Photocard that was issued at the time of purchase (or where appropriate a 'Permit to travel without Photocard') and you must present this in any circumstance where you present your physical Railcard (i.e. when buying tickets and ...
In most cases, you should get your digital Railcard instantly after following the steps in the 'How do I add a digital Railcard to my device' section below.
At a stationYou can also apply for your Railcard by visiting any staffed station ticket office within the Network Railcard area and get your Railcard on the same day! Just be sure to allow yourself plenty of time between purchasing your Railcard and before you need to depart for your journey.
To buy online, simply click 'Buy Now' on the website homepage and follow the instructions on the screen. Under 'Choose the type of Railcard you would like' you can select if you want a 'Digital' or a 'Plastic' Railcard. You will be asked to provide a digital passport-style photo if you select 'Digital'.
Yes. You must show your valid Railcard when you buy your ticket. You also need to have your Railcard with you on each journey and present it to staff when your ticket is checked aboard the train.
Digital Railcards are stored within the Railcard app on your smart phone or tablet, meaning there's no need to carry the physical card around with you. They can be stored on up to two devices and used quicker than plastic Railcards as they do not need to be sent in the post.
Types of Digital Railcard with TrainlineYou can now buy the following digital Railcards with us and store them directly in your Trainline app. Age-based Railcards are great for students, young professionals and seniors. Railcards are great for friends, couples and family members.
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're travelling in First Class, then you might only be able to buy certain kinds of ticket.
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.