Train passengers risk fines over railcard T&Cs
Railcards are a savvy way to save money on pricey train fares – but watch out for rules around time restrictions and minimum fares that could invalidate your discounted ticket.
A Northern rail passenger sparked outrage on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this month, after he discovered his £3.65 ‘anytime day’ ticket (purchased with a 16 - 25 railcard) was invalid at the time he was travelling.
The passenger wasn't aware of a term in their railcard T&Cs, which states that the discount can’t be used for fares below £12 before 10am, Monday to Friday.
His story received widespread coverage, prompting Northern to withdraw all live prosecutions for those who paid less than £12 for railcard-discounted peak tickets.
But a number of other railcards come with similar T&Cs around minimum fares and time restrictions that you might not be aware of. And if you're unexpectedly caught with an invalid ticket, you could face a penalty or even court prosecution if you don't pay your fine.
Here, Which? looks at the restrictions on different railcards and other sneaky ticket practices to be aware of.
Which railcards have minimum fares?
Which? looked at the T&Cs of the nine main types of railcards. Seven of the railcards have minimum fare restrictions for certain hours, as outlined in the table, below.
Most of the train operators we spoke to told us they have restrictions in place, which means passengers are not able to apply railcard discounts where they are invalid.
But this might not always be the case. It's worth double-checking your railcard T&Cs before going through with your purchase to ensure your tickets are valid.
| Railcard | Restrictions |
| 16 - 17 Saver | No minimum fare restrictions. |
| 16 - 25 Railcard (also available for mature students of any age) | A minimum fare of £12 between 4:30 - 10am, Monday - Friday. The minimum fare doesn't apply to advance tickets, journeys on public holidays, or during July or August. |
| 26 - 30 Railcard | A minimum fare of £12 between 4:30 - 10am, Monday - Friday. The minimum fare doesn't apply to advance tickets or journeys on public holidays. |
| Disabled Persons Railcard | No minimum fare restrictions, although its website says to be aware that 'any time travelcards' have a minimum fare of £22.60. |
| Family & Friends Railcard | All child fares are subject to a £1 minimum fare at all times. |
| Network Railcard | A minimum fare of £13 for all journeys, Monday to Friday. The minimum fare doesn't apply during public holidays. All child fares are subject to a £1 minimum fare at all times. |
| Senior Railcard | Discounts aren't available on morning peak services for journeys that start and end within the London & South East area on Monday to Friday (except on public holidays). |
Beware of other sneaky ticket practices
There are other ways you might be caught out by sneaky practices when buying train fares.
A Which? Travel investigation earlier this year found that you could end up paying more than double if you buy your train fares via a ticket machine, rather than online.
Two thirds of the ticket machines in our mystery shopping research didn't sell advance tickets (which are cheaper, non-flexible tickets up to the day of travel on many routes), while many machines also didn't appear to sell off-peak fares at peak times.
Where machines did sell off-peak fares, there was no information on when the ticket was actually valid. At the end of the booking process, in tiny print, it simply said: 'Restrictions apply – please inquire.'
Unfortunately, this lack of clarity around pricing and ticket options puts the onus on passengers to ensure they're getting the best deal.
It's worth double-checking online prices ahead of travelling if you want to get the best price possible.
How much can you be fined?
Most T&Cs state that if you fail to comply with the railcard terms, the train company can charge you the full price for the single fare applicable to your journey.
In some cases, you may be issued with a penalty fare.
A penalty fare for travelling on National Rail is usually £100 plus the cost of a single ticket for the journey.
If this is paid within 21 days, the penalty is reduced to £50 plus the price of the single fare applicable.
Transport for Wales has a different penalty fare of £20 (or twice the full single fare applicable to your journey, whichever is greater). Its website says this penalty may increase to £100 in the future.
- Find more: when to book the cheapest Eurostar tickets
What happens if you don't pay your penalty fare?
Being issued a penalty fare notice doesn't mean that you have a criminal record. But if you don't pay it, you could be prosecuted under criminal law, which could lead to a criminal record.
If your fare remains unpaid after 21 days, train companies can pass it over to a debt recovery company, who will then apply additional fees and chase payments. If still unpaid, it goes to prosecutors. The maximum penalty upon conviction is £1,000.
Train companies advise you to pay the penalty, even if you plan to appeal it. It says that if your appeal is successful, you'll then be refunded.
