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Anyone passing by train Over the past few years, it’s become clear how expensive rail fares have become, which is why investing in a railcard is smarter than ever.
Even if you don’t travel by train regularly, a railcard can quickly recoup a third of the cost of most rail journeys. Most one-year railcards cost around £35, and if you spend around £105 over the course of a year, you can save even more on your journey. That may sound like a lot, but at current prices you’ll probably end up spending that much on just a handful of return journeys.
I’m curious how much money owning a railcard saved me last year. It turns out I spent £326.15 on train travel in 2025, but without the discount it would have cost me around £489.23. This means my railcard saved me around £163 last year, which isn’t too little.
However, there are ways to make your railcards more profitable. From helping you buy railcards at a fraction of the price to tips for maximizing your earnings Discounthere are my seven railcard tips to help you get the most out of your trusty travel companion.
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1. Find railcard discount codes
Although railcards tend to cost around £35, there are often discounts available. Right now, we’ve got an exclusive deal from TrainPal to help you save. New TrainPal customers receive 20% off and existing customers receive 10% off when you use the code below.
2. Use your Clubcard points to purchase a railcard
More than 24 million people in the UK have a Tesco Clubcard. If you are one of them, you can use points to pay for your railcard.
via Tesco Reward partnersyou can double the value of your points so you can redeem every £2.50 in vouchers for £5 towards a one-year railcard. However, not all types of railcards can be purchased through Tesco Rewards Partners – this trick only works if you buy an 16-25, seniors, disabled, ‘family and friends’ or ‘two together’ railcard.
3. Work together to share the cost of railcards
If you usually travel with a specific person, such as your partner, friends or family, you can save by splitting the cost of the ‘Two Together’ railcard (£35, Twotogether-railcard.co.uk). You can still save a third on the price of most train journeys, but only if you two travel together.
Likewise, if you have a child aged between 5 and 15, you can get a Family and Friends Railcard (£35, Familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk). By doing this, you and one other cardholder can travel with up to four adults and up to four children using your railcard.
This will give you a one-third discount on travel for adults and 60% off travel for children. You and one other adult do not need to travel together, but you do need to be accompanied by at least one child.
4. Almost 31 years old? Buy a new railcard before your birthday
Anyone between the ages of 16 and 30 can get a railcard. Even if you no longer belong to the age group for which your railcard is valid (for example, 26-30 years old), you can continue to use most railcards until they expire.
So if you’re about to turn 31, it might be worth buying a new 26-30 railcard at the last minute so you can continue to enjoy travel discounts for as long as possible.
It might be worth performing this trick even if you already have a valid railcard, but you’ll need to set up another account to purchase a new railcard. This may result in you having two valid railcards for a period of time, but it will still save you money in the long run. You need to consider whether the savings outweigh the cost of purchasing a railcard.
5. Use the 16-17 railcard to enjoy a 50% discount on train rides
When you turn 16 or 17, there are two railcards available: the 16-17 railcard or the 16-25 railcard. But the difference is important, because a 16-17 railcard gets you 50% off train travel instead of the usual one-third, so it’s best to buy one before you’re older.
Unlike most other age-based railcards, you can’t use your 16-17 railcard once you turn 18 – no matter when you buy your railcard, it’s only valid until the day you turn 18.
6. Students can get a free railcard through their Santander account
If you’re studying an undergraduate course or an apprenticeship at levels four to seven, get a Santander Fringe Students account. I did this in college and I can’t imagine how much money it saved me on the way home between terms.
Once you open an account and register for online banking, you will receive a railcard code within five days, which you can use to get a four-year 16-25 railcard for free. You must use this code within 60 days – if it expires, it will not be reissued.
You will need to pay at least £500 into your Santander Edge student account every four months to remain eligible.
7. Live or work in London? Add your railcard to your Oyster card
It’s well worth it if you live or work in London as you can get a third off fares on the London Underground, Elizabeth Line, Overground and National Rail during off-peak times. If you have a disabled railcard you can also get a discount at peak times.
Honestly, it’s kind of nice to get this discount. You will need to order an Oyster card or register your Oyster card online (if you already have an Oyster card). Then take it with your railcard to a Tube, Overground or Elizabeth Line station and ask a staff member to link your railcard to your Oyster account.
Please note that you can only add the following railcards to your Oyster account: 16-25 Railcard, 26-30 Railcard, Premium Railcard, HM Forces Railcard, Veterans Railcard and Disabled Railcard. The discount is only valid when you use your Oyster card – unfortunately you can’t add your railcard to contactless payments.
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