railcards should be avalible for everyone

[chocolatekatie]

Its about time that everyone could just buy a rail card right?

25 seems like a too low cut off as many people below 35 these days can't get a decent job and can't afford to run a car.

Just make it open to all. I know there is the two person card, but that doesn't suit lots who go on journeys alone.

I thought you could.

I had one that cost about £25 and I was well over 30 at the time.

I agree!

There should be a frequent traveller rail card. I'm not young, old, in a family or in a couple so I don't qualify for any of them.

I agree - we have a Family & Friends card but I need to take the children. I have had a Network card in the past which covers our area but there's a minimum spend during the week and time limits.

If you use the train a lot then buy a weekly/monthly ticket. Or can you not buy them everywhere? My husband buys them on Scotrail.

It's because the most money is spent by people who don't qualify for railcards surely? The rail companies are trying to make money. Railcards are mostly there to encourage people who wouldn't otherwise travel to travel - it's not a public service to decrease peoples travel costs.

I'm also pretty sure that whatever railcard you have it wouldn't discount costs of commuting which are the largest costs anyway.

And yes if you are a commuter you can get weekly/monthly/yearly tickets which soften the blow a bit

But I don't commute on the train. However I do use it on some weekends to get out into the countryside to walk or cycle. I would definitely like a railcard where you pay £30 a year and get discounted fares.

There is a railcard where you pay thirty a year and get 1/3 off, network rail card

Once I was too old for the Young Person's Railcard, I switched to the Network Railcard, which cost the same and has near identical benefits and exclusions.

Obviously, none of the railcards cover the commuting times - they are busy enough as it is and do they want to encourage non-commuters to use the off-peak times.

My work has joined the railway's 'Tracel to Work' scheme, so I get 10% of season tickets that are monthly or more.

Tracel = Travel

I agree.

The Network card is barely worth having anymore. When I used to commute I used to travel off peak and I could get a third off my fair daily using my Network card. Then they changed the rules and I could only get money off on weekends and bank holidays. As I often worked weekends and bank holidays the card still made a difference, but nothing like it had before.

I get the point that public transport is expensive. It is. Buses are too.

But giving everyone the ability to get a railcard - isn't that just the same as lowering all the prices?

Unspecial, is that because your ticket during the week was £13 or less? You can still use it after 10.00 Mon-Fri, but minimum charge is £13 (no minimum charge at weekends).

but the train companies are there to make profits...

But railcards encourage you to travel in off peak times.

I have family and friends railcard and it works out cheaper to buy ticket for my 4year old even though he free to travel only when traveling at off peak times.

I tend to go back and forth to London alot

You can...

adults can get it individually, or there's a new one which you can buy for two adults who frequently travel together. its for off peak travel only.

The railcard are marketing tools to either get people who wouldn't otherwise use the train to use it, and/or to get people to use trains that would otherwise be quiet (off-peak)

e.g I'm taking Ds to Devon on the train with our familiy and friend's railcard in the summer. It works out very well and will be a bit of an adventure for us. At full price, I would have taken the car.

DH uses the train to travel into London during the morning rush, when the trains are packed and he has no real alternative. Why would they want to offer him cheap travel?