The guides
16-25 Railcard guides
From “can I get one?” to the £12 morning rule, Oyster, renewing and what to do if you forget it. Every guide is written from the official sources, lists them, and shows when it was last checked.
Getting one
Who can get a 16-25 Railcard, what it costs, and how to buy it.
- Who can get a 16-25 Railcard?Anyone aged 16 to 25 can get a 16-25 Railcard — and so can mature students aged 26 or over in full-time education. The age cut-offs for the 1-year and 3-year cards, the rules for mature students, and the ID you need.
- How much is a 16-25 Railcard? 1-year or 3-yearA 16-25 Railcard costs £35 for one year or £80 for three. When the 3-year card makes sense, who can’t have it, and the other costs to know about — replacements, delivery and refunds.
- How to buy a 16-25 Railcard — digital or plastic?Where to buy a 16-25 Railcard — the official site, a staffed ticket office or a ticket retailer — how digital and plastic cards differ, and how long each takes to arrive.
- Other railcards for 16-17s and 26-30sBefore and after the 16-25 Railcard there are two other cards to know about — the 16-17 Saver, which gives half price, and the digital-only 26-30 Railcard.
Using it
What it takes off, when it works and when it doesn’t, and how it fits with other tickets.
- A third off — and the £12 weekday morning ruleThe 16-25 Railcard takes a third off most rail fares in Great Britain, including Advance tickets. The one big catch is the £12 minimum fare on weekday mornings before 10am — and the times it doesn’t apply.
- Which tickets the 16-25 Railcard works on (and which it doesn’t)The railcard takes a third off most fares, including Advance tickets. But Season tickets, Eurostar, most Tube tickets and some others get no discount. Here’s the list, plus what we know about split tickets.
- London: Oyster, Travelcards and contactlessMost Tube tickets get no railcard discount — but you can add your 16-25 Railcard to an Oyster card for a third off off-peak pay as you go, and get a third off an Anytime Day Travelcard bought with a train ticket from outside London.
- Digital or plastic: carrying your railcard and the rules on the trainHow the digital 16-25 Railcard works — the app, offline use, two phones, flat batteries — and the rules that apply to every railcard when you travel.
Renewals & problems
Renewing, lost or forgotten cards, and what to do if something goes wrong.
- Renewing your 16-25 RailcardYou can renew a 16-25 Railcard online up to 30 days before it runs out, or renew a 1-year card at a staffed ticket office. What to do if you bought it at a station, and what changes after your 26th birthday.
- Lost, stolen or forgotten 16-25 RailcardWhat happens if you lose your 16-25 Railcard, it’s stolen, it never arrives, or you leave it at home — replacement costs, Penalty Fares and how to claim back the extra once a year.
Saving more
Ways to spend less on trains, with or without a railcard.
- Is a 16-25 Railcard worth it?With a third off, a £35 card pays for itself once you’d have spent about £105 a year on full-price tickets it can be used on. The official saving figures, some worked examples, and when it isn’t worth it.
- Money-saving rail tips for 16-25sPractical ways to spend less on trains with a 16-25 Railcard — dodging the weekday-morning minimum fare, using Advance tickets, the 3-year card, Oyster, and the extras that come with the card.