New Digital Railcards are Introduced Today

• Family and Friends Card and Two Together Cards will be available digitally
• 16-25 railcard has already gone digital
• What does this mean for you?

Railcard owners will now have the option of getting their card in a digital format, instead of a physical paper card.

The change will apply to Friends and Family Railcards, and Two Together Cards, following the success of its’ introduction to the 16-25 Railcard three months ago.

This won’t yet apply to the new Millennial Railcard that has recently been introduced.

The Family and Friends Railcard allows you to get a third off most adult fares and 60% off children’s fares.

Two adults are named on the card, so when one cardholder isn’t using it, the other can.

The Two Together Railcard gives a third off of travel when both cardholders are using it together.

You now no longer need to worry about bringing a railcard on your journey, as long as you have a phone or tablet with you, you’ll be able to show your card there.

The digital upgrade also means you can renew your card on the Railcard App, which will save time over a physical format.

Customers will be able to start using a digital Railcard straight away, unlike having one in a physical format, which you have to wait for in the post.

The cards are currently only available for someone buying or renewing their card; if you currently have a physical one you cannot transfer it to a digital format.

This will make things easier for travellers, who are already having to pay more this year for their train tickets.

Jyoti Bird, director at National Rail, said, “With four out of five UK adults owning a smartphone, it was important for us to be able to provide railcards in formats that make travelling easier.

“With the introduction of digital railcards, customers no longer have to worry about losing or forgetting their railcards when they travel home laden with bags and gifts.”

However, if your phone runs out of battery, or you are unable to show the Railcard, your ticket will be invalid and you’ll have to buy a new one or be issued with a Penalty Fee.

If you get caught out like this, you can make one claim a year to get refunded for the extra fare or penalty, so if you don’t travel with your phone often, you might want to stick to a physical version of the card.

To get a railcard, in digital format or a physical one, visit National Rail's website.