Great Western Coffee Shop

I just bought some tickets from FGW website, and when selecting my YP Railcard, I noticed that it no longer exists and has been replaced by 16-25 Railcard. Likewise, Family Railcard is now labelled Family and Friends Railcard.

Does anyone know anything about this? Is it just a name change? Am I no longer considered young at 25????  :( ???

More importantly, are there any condition changes or usage changes?

Name changes, nothing else.

Names changed to avoid confusion as to ages of Young persons and that it doesn't have to be a related family on Family.

Nah - the names have been changed to make it simpler to understand.... besides the fact that anyone in full time education can get a YPR...

Oh, and the Family & Friends name is the only good thing out of the changes to the railcard.

Out of curiosity - does this apply to the OU

as well as working I am a full time student - I do 120 credits which is a full time course load

Technically I am no different than someone attending oxford and working

Will be interested to find out

Young persons doesnt apply to first class, so it's pointless for you ;)

Does on AP!

Bummer

I did look at the regulations and it does say the OU does not qualify for the mature persons - BUT I do know you CAN get an ISIC card as part of the OU.

I might try to get one anyway for those journeys when I dont go 1st - and if I could wangle one, it may put the differential (which at the moment is ^6 per day after tax) big enough to make me reconsider - especially as the project hots up and I end up only travelling every other day and staying in hotels

No AP on cotswolds line!

But there is on Ludlow-newport and newport-RDG.....

And here's the dichotomy:

From the 16-25 railcard site:

You can either show an ISIC card (International Student Identity Card)or have the 'Mature Students Only' section of the application form completed and certified

Also from the 16-25 railcard site:

 NUS cards will not be accepted as proof of age/educational status (Open University, distance learning and part-time courses do not qualify).

From the ISIC website:

- An Open University 'confirmation of registration' for 60 points or more. (which I can get!)

So............bring it on (I visit my mum every 2-3 weeks - it will save me ^6 a time alone!)

Maybe whoever controls railcards needs to harmonise their conditions (she says thinking of how much she could have saved over the years since 2003)

Just to play devils advocate, I thought that the whole point was that it gave you a discount if you were in full time education because you wouldn't be earning.. Sounds like a case of cake and eat it to me? ;)

It probably is = but I dont care

I get 10% discount from Apple every time I order something from them as well.

However, to argue your devils advocat, when I was in a traditional university, I still worked 20 hours a week in a bookies - that is considered a full time job.

I do not know of many students who dont work these days - certainly post 18 - and certainly if mature students

About 5 years ago (when I was over 26) I was able to buy a YP railcard with an ISIC card.  My job sent me on a three month full time diploma course at University of Londonstarting in October 2002.  My NUS card entitled me to an ISIC card (^6) and my ISIC card entitled me to a Rail card .  My course finished on 6 Jan 2003, and this was shown as an expiry date on my NUS card, but I was able to use my NUS card on 5 Jan 2003 to buy an ISIC card valid until 30 Dec 2003, which I was able to use to buy an YP rail card valid until 29 December 2004. I was a student  for 3 months, but I had a YP railcard for over 2 years. 

Was this legal?

Was probably legal, one thing about Y-P cards is that they are the most miss-used railcards of the lot, i.e. more people are prosecuted for fraudulent travel for offences involving Y-P cards (well, usually the lack of a Y-P card!)

It does say in the small print that this is legal - so long as the card that got you the rail card was legal at the time of acquisition of the rail card, the rail card stays valid afterwards

Also worth noting that it is valid when you are 26 as well - just buy before the date of your 26th birthday.