Concessionary Fares on the British railway network
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In addition to the large number and variety of short-term or localised promotional fares that have been available on the British railway network in recent decades (especially since privatisation), there are many permanent concessionary fare schemes available to passengers. Some of these take the form of Railcards, which can be purchased by people who qualify according to the conditions, and which give discounts for all journeys over a period of time; other concessions are available for individual journeys. In all cases, details of the type of concession will be printed on the passenger's travel ticket, to distinguish reduced-rate tickets from those sold at the standard full fare.
[edit] Railcards
Before the rail network was privatised, British Rail introduced several discount cards that were available to certain groups of people. Various reasons are usually cited:
- To encourage off-peak and leisure travel
- To provide greater access to rail services for low-income groups, creating a social benefit
- To generate new sources of income: certain groups of people may be encouraged to perform a modal switch to rail transport if given the benefit of cheaper fares
All of the schemes were retained after privatisation, despite some threats of abolition. By generating extra income at off-peak times when trains are generally less crowded, they offer a potential commercial benefit for the TOCs.
Participation in the Young Persons, Senior and Disabled Persons Railcard schemes is mandatory for all TOCs under their franchise agreements; the Family and HM Forces Railcard schemes are notionally voluntary, but all TOCs participate in them. For the Network Railcard, which has a restricted geographical area, all TOCs in the relevant area are members of the scheme and participate in it. The revenue applicable to each TOC from the use of each Railcard is calculated by ATOC, and voting rights and costs payable are attributed accordingly. [1]
7% of fare revenue is derived from travel using one of the Railcard schemes. This amounts to approximately £400m, of which £60m is estimated by ATOC to be attributable entirely to the existence of the Railcards - if they were not available, journeys to a total value of £60m per year would not be made by rail. Approximately 2,200,000 Railcards are in use at any one time in Britain. [2]
[edit] Young Persons Railcard
This railcard costs £20.00, and is available to anybody between the ages of 16 and 25 (inclusive). Also, full-time students aged 26 or above may buy one. (In this instance, a "full-time student" are considered to be a person who studies at a "recognised educational establishment" for at least 15 hours per week and 20 weeks per year, or a person who holds an International Student Identity Card.) The standard discount on the full adult fare is 34%, to the nearest £0.05; not all ticket types qualify for a discount. No discounts are available for accompanying children.
[edit] Senior Railcard
This railcard costs £20.00, and is available to anybody aged 60 or over. Applications must be supported by a valid birth certificate, passport or driving licence confirming the applicant's age. Up to the early 1990s, up to four accompanying children could travel for £1.00 each, and the standard discount on the full adult fare was 50%. The railcard was known at that time as the Senior Citizen Railcard. In 1992, however, the "new" Senior Railcard was phased in; the standard discount became 34%, and there was no longer a discount for accompanying children. Again, not all ticket types qualify for a discount. Certain county councils or other local authorities subsidise Senior Railcards for their residents.
[edit] Family Railcard
This railcard costs £20.00, and is available to anybody aged 16 or over. A second adult can be named as a co-holder. At least one adult and one child must travel in order to receive the discounts, which are:
- Adult: 34% off the full adult fare
- Child: 60% off the full child fare, subject to a minimum fare of £1.00
The maximum group size is four adults and four children. One of the adults in the group must always be the cardholder (or the co-holder, in the case of a jointly-held railcard). Not all ticket types qualify for a discount.
[edit] Network Railcard
This railcard was introduced in 1986, when Network SouthEast was created. It gives a 34% discount on many (but again, not all) types of ticket within the Network SouthEast area. Similar to the Family Railcard, groups of up to 4 adults and 4 children may travel together and gain the following discounts:
- Adult: 34% off the full adult fare, subject to a minimum fare of £10.00 per ticket issued.
- Child: 60% off the full child fare, subject to a minimum fare of £1.00 per ticket issued.
There have been various changes to the Network Railcard's conditions since 1986, and as with the Senior Railcard, a previous version existed under a different name (the Network Card). The current version costs £20.00.
[edit] Disabled Persons Railcard
Until 5 September 2006, this railcard is available in a one-year version for £14.00. Since 6 September 2006, the following versions have been available:
- Valid for one year; £18.00
- Valid for three years; £48.00
The qualification criteria also changed slightly at this date. Disabled Persons Railcards are not issued at National Rail stations; they must be applied for by post.
[edit] HM Forces Railcard
These are available to all members of the regular armed forces, certain reservists, and in most cases the partners and dependent children of eligible members. Discounts for the Railcard holder are generally 34% (subject to minimum fares), although Supersaver, Saver and Advance/SuperAdvance tickets are discounted by 26%. Up to four accompanied children may travel at a 60% discount on the standard Child fare, with a £1.00 minimum fare. HM Forces Railcards cost £10.00, and are distributed at a local level by the Pay and Administration Offices at the member's Unit.
[edit] Local Railcards
The Network Railcard is the main example of a local railcard, but various others are available in much more localised areas, or even for a single line. In many cases, adult tickets are issued with the status code LOCRC (Local Railcard); child tickets show CHLOC. Some of the Railcards have unique status codes assigned to them, however.
[edit] Cambrian Railcard
This costs £5.00 for a year. Cardholders must be aged 16 or over, no co-holders can be named, and there are no discounts for accompanying adults or children. A discount of 34% is available on Day Singles, Cheap Day Returns, Saver and Supersaver tickets on the Cambrian Coast route between Shrewsbury, Aberystwyth and Machynlleth. The Railcard can only be purchased at Aberystwyth and Machynlleth stations, and is only available to residents of the area.
[edit] Cotswold Line Railcard
This costs £7.50 for a year, and gives 34% discounts on Standard Day and Cheap Day singles and returns between Worcester Foregate Street and Oxford (and intermediately). Cardholders must be aged 16 or over, no co-holders can be named, and there are no discounts for accompanying adults or children. The Railcard can be bought at any staffed station on the route. The discount is not available until the 0842 train from Worcester and the 0848 train from Oxford on weekdays, but there are no weekend restrictions.
[edit] Dales Railcard
This costs £12.00 per year, and gives a discount of 34% on all Standard Day, Cheap Day and Saver tickets. Cardholders must be aged 16 or over, and no co-holders can be named, but up to four accompanied children can travel at a 60% discount on the standard Child fare (subject to a £1.00 minimum fare). Only residents in certain postcode areas within the region of validity may apply. This area is complex:
- All journeys between the following stations (inclusive) are covered: Carlisle, Brampton, Gargrave and Wennington
- From all of these stations to all stations on the routes to Morecambe, Bradford Forster Square and Leeds (inclusive) - but not via Penrith
- From Skipton to all stations on the routes to Morecambe and Brampton (inclusive) - but not via Penrith
[edit] Esk Valley Railcard
This costs £12.00 per year, and gives a discount of 34% on all Standard Day, Cheap Day and Saver tickets. Cardholders must be aged 16 or over, and no co-holders can be named, but up to four accompanied children can travel at a 60% discount on the standard Child fare (subject to a £1.00 minimum fare). Only residents in certain postcode areas within the Teesside area and other parts of North Yorkshire may buy these Railcards. Discounts are available on journeys between Whitby and Great Ayton inclusive, and also for journeys from these stations to the other stations on the line - Nunthorpe, Gypsy Lane, Marton and Middlesbrough. The 34% discount, and accompanying child discount (again subject to the £1.00 minimum fare), is also available on the Tees Day Ranger ticket, which offers unlimited journeys on the route in one day.
[edit] Cornish Railcard
This costs £10.00 per year, and gives a discount of 34% on all Standard Day, Cheap Day and Saver tickets for journeys wholly within Cornwall, to and from Plymouth in neighbouring Devon, and along the Tamar Valley Line between Plymouth and Gunnislake, which is partly in Devon. Applicants must be 16 or over and must live within the PL (Plymouth) or TR (Truro) postal districts, which between them cover all of Cornwall and parts of Devon. Flat fares of £1.00 for up to four accompanied children apply after 0900 on weekdays and at all times at weekends. There is a further weekday peak-time restriction on the Tamar Valley Line: discounts are not available on tickets from stations on the branch to stations in the Plymouth urban area issued for journeys arriving there between 0730 and 0900.
[edit] Devon Railcard
This costs £10.00 per year, and gives a discount of 34% on Standard Day Singles, Cheap Day Returns, Saver and Supersaver tickets for journeys wholly within Devon (including the full length of the Tamar Valley Line, part of which is in Cornwall). No discounts are available on Standard Day Return tickets for use during the morning peak, or for accompanying adults or children. Applicants must be 16 or over, but cardholders do not have to live within the area of validity.
[edit] Highland Railcard
This costs £7.50 per year, and is available to applicants aged 16 or over who live in certain areas of the north and west Highlands of Scotland - principally the IV and KW postal districts. A 50% discount is available for the cardholder for all journeys on the following routes, with up to two children accompanying the cardholder being charged a £2.00 flat fare:
- The Kyle of Lochalsh Line between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh
- The Far North Line between Inverness and its two termini (Thurso and Wick)
- The West Highland Line between Glasgow Queen Street and its two termini (Oban and Mallaig)
[edit] Heart of Wales Line Railcard
This costs £5.00 for one year, and is available to residents (aged 16 or over) of certain postal districts along the line of the route, which runs from Swansea to Shrewsbury. A 34% discount is available on all fares for journeys between any two stations on the route. Up to two children can accompany the cardholder for a flat fare of £2.00. The Railcard may only be purchased at Llandrindod station.
[edit] Pembrokeshire Railcard
This costs £5.00 for one year, and is available to residents (aged 16 or over) of certain postal districts in Pembrokeshire. Discounts of 34% are available on most journeys on the routes collectively known as the West Wales Line: the Fishguard Harbour, Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock branch lines, and the common section from Whitland via Carmarthen through to Swansea. Standard Day Returns do not receive the discount, and tickets bought with the Railcard cannot be used on the section of the Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Llanelli. The Railcards can be bought at Haverfordwest and Carmarthen stations.
[edit] Valleys Line Railcards
On the Valley Lines network in South Wales, discounts are available with two Railcards:
- Valleys Senior Railcard
This costs £5.00 for one year, and gives a 50% discount on Cheap Day Return fares for journeys wholly within the Valley Lines area. There are no discounts for accompanying passengers. Tickets are issued with status code VAL-S.
- Valleys Student Railcard
This costs £9.00 for one year, and gives a 26% discount on Standard Day and Cheap Day Single and Return fares in the area, and a 10% discount on Seven Day Season Tickets. This is the only Railcard anywhere in Great Britain that offers a discount on Season Tickets (although New Deal Photocards also do).
[edit] Other discount cards
[edit] Gold Card and Gold Card Partner's Card
Until 1988, holders of Annual Season Tickets could buy a railcard - the Annual Season Ticket Holder's Railcard - which gave a 50% discount on most off-peak fares throughout the British Rail network. Discounted tickets were issued with the status code AST-H. In 1988, the Annual Season Ticket was renamed the Gold Card, and the benefits available were changed. The Annual Season Ticket Holder's Railcard was discontinued, and the Gold Card itself became the discount card - but only within the Network SouthEast area in London and South-East England.
Holders of Gold Cards received the same benefits as Network Card holders: 34% discounts for themselves and accompanying adults on most off-peak fares, £1.00 flat-fare tickets for children, and First Class Supplement upgrades. The same time restriction (after 10.00am on weekdays; all day at weekends and on public holidays) also applied. When the Network Card changed to the more restrictive "Network Railcard" format, with children receiving a 60% discount subject to a minimum £1.00 fare (rather than a £1.00 flat fare in all cases) and adults being subject to a £10.00 minimum fare on weekdays, the Gold Card's conditions remained the same as before. Also, First Class Supplement tickets are still available for Gold Card holders, whereas this benefit has been withdrawn for the Network Railcard. These supplements cost £3.00 for adults and £1.50 for accompanying children, and permit travel in First Class accommodation.
When a Gold Card holder is travelling on the route covered by their Gold Card with accompanying adults or children, a separate discounted ticket does not have to be purchased by the Gold Card holder in order to secure the relevant discounts for the other members of the group.
A card giving the same benefits, usually known as the Partner's Card but officially named Gold Card Partner's Network Card, is also available. Initially, this was free of charge, but it now costs £1.00. A relative or friend of the Gold Card holder could be nominated, and the Partner's Card could be used independently of the Gold Card - the two cardholders did not have to travel together. The First Class Supplement benefit was withdrawn from Partner's Cards at the same time as from Network Railcards.
Following the introduction of the Gold Card and the Partner's Card, the status code for tickets issued with these changed from AST-H to GOLDC, with child tickets showing CHNGC (previously CHAST). GOLD was occasionally seen on adult tickets in 1990.
[edit] New Deal Photocard
The Department for Work and Pensions, through its executive agency the Employment Service (Jobcentre Plus), administers a scheme whereby unemployed people can gain discounts of 50% on a wide range of travel and Season tickets. This is intended to assist them in their search for employment, although they can be used for discounts on leisure journeys as well. The Employment Service authorises and issues the cards, which are valid for three months at a time. Discounts are available on all Standard class travel tickets within England and Wales, Peak and Off Peak One Day Travelcards, Seven Day Season Tickets and Travelcards, and Longer Period (one month and more) Season Tickets and Travelcards, subject to the validity of the Photocard. There are no discounts for First Class fares. In all cases, the status code NDEAL is used on tickets.
There is a separate scheme in Scotland. Photocards are issued for periods of up to six months, but discounts are only available on Seven Day Season Tickets for journeys wholly within Scotland. JobCentres themselves also sell certain Standard Day Return tickets for Scottish journeys, again at a 50% discount.
The scheme is governed by an agreement between ATOC and Jobcentre Plus, which was renewed in 2002 and remains effective until either party proposes to end it.
Document explaining the New Deal Scheme, including full details of discounted tickets
[edit] Children
At all times, up to two children under the age of 5 may travel free of charge with an accompanying adult, and do not require a ticket (but see the Family Railcard article for one exception to this). Children between the ages of 5 and 15 (inclusive) travel at half of the standard adult fare. (Full adult fare for journeys are almost always in multiples of £0.10; in the rare instances where the adult fare is a multiple of £0.05, the Child fare will be rounded up to the nearest £0.05.)
On tickets issued for children, the wording CHILD will appear in the "concessions" (status code) field of the ticket(s).
Children can gain further reductions by travelling with adults who are using certain Railcards, or adults travelling on certain other concessionary tickets.
[edit] GroupSave
Since 1999, many Train Operating Companies have elected to join this ATOC-administered scheme. Three or four adults can travel for the price of two on various off-peak ticket types; additionally, up to four accompanying children pay £1.00 each. The group must travel together at all times. No further discounts (using Railcards, for example) are available for any of the passengers.
Adult tickets are issued with the status code GPS-3 or GPS-4 as appropriate. Child tickets can be issued in a variety of ways - typically, ticket type CHILD FLAT FARE will be used, but occasionally the dedicated status code CHGPS will be used in conjunction with the same ticket type description as shown on the adults' tickets.
The National Rail "GroupSave" sub-site describes the scheme in the London and South East (former Network SouthEast) area, where it duplicates the Network Railcard's function to some extent.
[edit] Accompanied Animals and Articles
All quotations and statistics in this section are taken from the May 1991 edition (No. 6) of the Ticket Examiners' Handbook, produced by the British Railways Board.
The British Railways Board made detailed provisions for the carriage of large and/or heavy items, pets and similar, and specific fare ranges and ticket status codes were set up within the APTIS and PORTIS/SPORTIS ticket issuing systems for these. Since privatisation, the situation has become less clear-cut, with many Train Operating Companies allowing greater freedom for such items to be carried free of charge.
In the later British Rail era, articles could be carried free of charge subject to the following conditions:
- Weight: not to exceed 154lb (First Class) or 110lb (Standard Class)
- Able to be "taken into the coach without inconvenience to other customers, or ... readily loaded and accommodated in the guard's van"
A charge of 50% of the standard adult fare, subject to a maximum fare of £4.00 or £8.00 (depending on the type of ticket held by the passenger), would be charged for the following:
- "Dogs, cats and other small inoffensive animals or birds" (maximum of two per passenger)
- Non-folding prams (maximum of two per passenger)
- Skis and surfboards (maximum of one per passenger)
- Cellos (maximum of one per passenger)
- Disabled persons' "runabout" or other electric vehicles (maximum of one per passenger; not permitted in InterCity 125, InterCity 225 or sliding-door trains)
In all of these cases, a ticket with the status code AAA would be issued for the article. This was represented as A A A on APTIS and PORTIS tickets until 1988. (Such tickets also showed NIL adults and NIL children, uniquely.)
Items exceeding the weight or size parameters, including furniture, canoes, hang-gliders and large musical instruments, had to be issued with a ticket at the standard adult rate.
Most railcards and certain other concessionary fares could be combined with the Accompanied Animals and Articles discount, resulting in much larger discounts on the standard adult fare. The status code RCAAA was used when a railcard was held.
[edit] Privilege tickets
Railway employees, their spouses or partners and their dependent children are able to travel on the railway network free of charge or at a substantial discount on the standard adult or child fare, depending on the type of staff travel pass, privilege pass or staff identity card they possess. In cases where free travel is not available - either on certain routes or on all routes - the standard discount for adults is 75% of the full adult fare (i.e. a quarter-rate fare), although certain cheap-rate tickets (such as Cheap Day Returns) are not available in conjunction with the discount. Such tickets are endorsed with status code PRIV. Children travel at a 75% discount on the standard child fare, usually subject to a maximum fare of £2.00. The status code for child privilege tickets is CHPRV. An "Accompanied Animals and Articles" ticket can be issued in conjunction with a privilege ticket, although as noted above such tickets are very rarely issued now; such a ticket would be endorsed with status code PRAAA, and would be at a discount of 88% to the standard adult fare, subject to a maximum fare of £1.00.
[edit] Foreign railway employees
Employees, and in some cases their spouses and/or dependent children, of most railway companies in Europe west of the border of the former Soviet Union (excepting Sweden, which withdrew from the arrangements in 2001, and Albania which was never a member) can obtain tickets at a 50% discount on the full adult fare (75% discount in the case of employees of the Belgian, French, Irish, and Northern Irish railways). Employees, and in some cases depending on reciprocal arrangements their spouses and/or dependent children, can obtain 1 or (in the case of Belgian, Dutch, French, Irish, and Northern Irish railways) 2 coupon tickets per year each giving up to two days free travel on four occasions in a three-month validity period. A much smaller number of railways allow 1 coupon ticket per year on a reciprocal basis to each other's retired former staff, and sometimes to their spouses.
There are also various reciprocal travel arrangements for railway staff from many countries outside Europe.
[edit] Virgin Trains scheme for employees of Registered Charities
Since 2000, Virgin Trains has allowed any employee of British registered charities to travel unrestricted at any time of day at the standard Saver price, even at times when Open (highest-price) fares would normally apply.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ "From Competition to Co-operation in the UK Railway Industry", Malin Cohn, 2003
- ^ From ATOC's own analysis, derived from Rail Business Information Systems data; reported in http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmtran/700/700ii.pdf
- ^ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmtran/700/700ii.pdf#91
[edit] External links
"From Competition to Co-operation in the UK Railway Industry", Malin Cohn, 2003
ATOC National Fares Manual Section F - Discounted Travel
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