Since the launch of the new 26-30 railcard, over 125 thousand people have been able to save £3.4 million on their rail journeys
The 26-30 Railcard broke sales records when it went on sale at midday on 2nd January, with two Railcards being sold per second. So far the Railcard has been used for an average of 13,777 journeys per day. Since its launch customers have travelled the equivalent of 62 times to the moon and back by covering over 29,717,793 miles with their 26-30 Railcard.
The longest journey taken with a 26-30 Railcard so far has been 712 miles from Exeter St David’s to Forres in Scotland. Doing this route with an off-peak return would save you over £87 with a Railcard.
The new 26-30 Railcard is one of a number of measures that the rail industry is rolling out as part of its joint plan to change and improve for customers. Following the largest ever consultation on reforming rail fares to build an easier-to-use system for everyone, which received almost 20,000 responses, the rail industry is finalising proposals to make the case to government for regulatory change and will publish them shortly.
Jacqueline Starr, Managing Director of Customer Experience at Rail Delivery Group said: “We’re delighted that over 125k people have been able to save over £3.4m on their rail journeys since the 26-30 Railcard went on sale last month. It’s great to see that whilst the majority of 26-30 Railcard customers are based in London and the South East, the introduction of this new Railcard has given them the incentive to travel further afield, which in turn helps to boost local economies. The money people save on their rail journey means they’ll have more money to enjoy the places they are travelling to.”
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “It is fantastic to see how the 26-30 Railcard is already helping to cut fares for over 100,000 young adults on millions of journeys, saving them millions of pounds as they benefit from a third off their travel.
“With a new 16 & 17 railcard set to cut the cost of travel for a generation of travellers and record investment helping to modernise our railways, we are making more progress in ensuring young people get the reliable, frequent and affordable journeys they expect.”
