Senior Railcard - ongoing issues, merged posts

[whole diary]

[MVR S&T]

Trainline is a comercial company, offer looks good, but be arware.

[Clan Line]

Trainline is a comercial company,

So it is - just like Waitrose and Lidl.............. and it is my choice where I buy my baked beans. National Rail have seemingly made it impossible for me to buy their (more expensive too !) product so I shall buy that product elsewhere. 

[PhilWakely]

My 3 year version expires early next month so I’m likely to throw away a few days & renew through Trainline at the snd if this month. The £10 discount is enough to persuade me not to renew for abother 3year version saving a further £10 over the term

I've just renewed my Good Lady Wife's card with a 3-year plastic version through my account at www.railcard.co.uk. Logged into the account at 9:15pm on Thurs 11/08 to renew and had email at 3:45pm on Friday 12/08 to inform me that the new card has been despatched. No problems whatsoever unless the Royal Mail loses the card.

[Clan Line]

I have been informed by National Rail that you can only renew a card online if it expired less than 30 days ago. I am afraid to say that I have to take that with a hefty pinch of salt. I tried buying a new card several times, I tried buying a new card after uninstalling and re-installing the App, both on my mobile and PC - it still didn't work !

[PhilWakely]

I have been informed by National Rail that you can only renew a card online if it expired less than 30 days ago. I am afraid to say that I have to take that with a hefty pinch of salt. I tried buying a new card several times, I tried buying a new card after uninstalling and re-installing the App, both on my mobile and PC - it still didn't work !

My Good Lady Wife's card expired back in May and I renewed her's last week, so NR^» (Network Rail - home page) is plainly telling porkies! If you have an account at www.railcard.co.uk, the website stores all previously purchased cards and the 'renew' button is active for all - even those cards that expired years previously.

[Clan Line]

I have been informed by National Rail that you can only renew a card online if it expired less than 30 days ago. I am afraid to say that I have to take that with a hefty pinch of salt. I tried buying a new card several times, I tried buying a new card after uninstalling and re-installing the App, both on my mobile and PC - it still didn't work !

.............. so NR^» (Network Rail - home page) is plainly telling porkies!

I don't think I would argue too strongly against that statement ..................

[Clan Line]

Had an email from National Rail this morning saying that I hadn't finished applying for my card renewal..................

[ChrisB]

I got a postcard from Railcards to say that my Two-together railcard was expiring next week & need to renew it.

Only problem - I've NEVER had one of those railcards, nor have I ever lived at the (very) local address it was addressed to. But correct name & there isn't another Chris B in our village! We have a friendly local postie who knows me...so brought it round.

[matth1j]

I've recently had the misfortune to become old enough to qualify for one of these, and have been making use of it. I had been looking forward to being challenged at the ticket barriers and on board, supporting my belief that I don't look anything like old enough to have one But so far that hasn't happened.

I've heard guards ask for young persons to show their 16-25 card; is it assumed that seniors are honest? And in fact do ticket barriers give any indication that a ticket has been purchased using a senior railcard? I haven't heard anything out of the ordinary when I pass through.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Last year, I registered for my first Senior Railcard - despite having actually qualified for one, several years before. 

I have used it on my recent train tickets, without any challenge: there is no photo ID on the Railcard, but I suspect that my increasingly greying hair leads railway staff to think, 'yes, he's an old git'. 

Nevertheless, I keep my Senior Railcard in my wallet, next to my Driving Licence - which does have photo ID - just in case I am ever challenged. 

[Oxonhutch]

Using Tesco Clubcard points, a railcard can be purchased for £15 rather than the usual £30  . Two years ago it was only £10 

[Mark A]

**snip**
Nevertheless, I keep my Senior Railcard in my wallet, next to my Driving Licence - which does have photo ID - just in case I am ever challenged. 

Ah, the driving licence. It could be said that it way too much personal info on it - some people do not like carrying it on them for that reason. Paired with house keys, a photocard driving licence drives a coach and horses through two-factor authentication.

Mark

[Mark A]

I've recently had the misfortune to become old enough to qualify for one of these, and have been making use of it. I had been looking forward to being challenged at the ticket barriers and on board, supporting my belief that I don't look anything like old enough to have one But so far that hasn't happened.

I've heard guards ask for young persons to show their 16-25 card; is it assumed that seniors are honest? And in fact do ticket barriers give any indication that a ticket has been purchased using a senior railcard? I haven't heard anything out of the ordinary when I pass through.

I can't recall having been asked for a railcard at a barrier, ever. Train managers especially more recently will usually check for one and the thing they like to be able to see is the expiry date. Without a photo id, mind, a railcard is a bit loose, nevertheless, some train managers have a number of warm expressions up their sleeves ready for deployment. I wish I could recall the best I've heard but my memory's not what it was. :-)

"...supporting my belief that I don't look anything like old enough to have one "

From your writing style I was holding a belief that you were about 24. (Not holding that belief in a derogatory way I hasten to add...)

Mark

[Chris from Nailsea]

**snip**
Nevertheless, I keep my Senior Railcard in my wallet, next to my Driving Licence - which does have photo ID - just in case I am ever challenged. 

Ah, the driving licence. It could be said that it way too much personal info on it - some people do not like carrying it on them for that reason. Paired with house keys, a photocard driving licence drives a coach and horses through two-factor authentication.

Mark

That's an interesting point, Mark.

In my previous employment - driving grocery delivery vans for Waitrose - it was a contractual requirement that I carried my photo ID driving licence with me at all times. 

[johnneyw]

I've on occasion not been asked for my railcard when having my ticket checked on the train although I mostly present the ticket and card together.
A few times, for reasons unknown, my ticket hasn't opened the barrier at stations, causing the staff, after a quick check, to let me through but never asking for me to produce my railcard.

Incidentally, on a number of on-train ticket checks, the revenue protection/train managers have smilingly referred to it as my "young persons railcard"!