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Terms and Conditions

Eligibility

Minimum fares / Time restrictions

Conditions of issue and use of the HM Forces Railcard

Conditions of issue and use of reduced priced tickets ('discounted tickets') bought with the HM Forces Railcard  

 

Eligibility

The following are eligible to be issued with the HM Forces Railcard -
 
1. All members of the Regular Forces including members of the Military Provost Guard Staff;
 
2. All members of the Volunteer Reserve, which comprise of:
     (a) The Royal Naval Reserve,
     (b) The Royal Marines Reserve,
     (c) The Army Reserve,
     (d) The Royal Auxiliary Air Force,
 
     and includes personnel serving on Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) and Additional  Duties Commitment (ADC) commitments;
 
3. Non-Regular Permanent Staff;
 
4. Members of the Regular Reserve who are called out for a period of at least 3 months duration on broadly similar terms and conditions of service as the Regular Forces;
 
5. Commissioned officers of the RAF Reserve carrying out full-time duties in uniform in peacetime;
 
6. Retired officers of the rank of Admiral, General and Air Chief Marshall who remain on the Active List for life;
 
7. NATO personnel serving in official NATO UK appointments or in NATO posts based within the UK;
 
8. Members of other Government Defence Forces serving in official exchange appointments;
 
9. Spouses/Civil Partners of personnel noted above;
 
10. Dependant children of those noted above, subject to meeting the following criteria:
    (a) Unmarried children (including legitimate, adopted and step-children) over the age of 16 years and under the age of 18 years who are normally resident in the household;
   
    (b) A son or daughter of 18 years and over, certified by a medical authority to be suffering from a physical or mental infirmity, who is normally resident in the household;
   
    (c) A son or daughter of 18 years and over who for compassionate reasons is acting as the housekeeper within the household;
   
    (d) A son or daughter over the age of 18 but under the age of 25 who is normally resident in the household and in full time education;
 
11. War Widow(er)s, surviving civil partners and dependent children of a deceased service person may retain the use of purchased Railcards for the remaining period of validity until the expiry date of the card.
 
Thereafter, Railcards can be obtained by War Widow(er)s and their qualifying dependants, through the Royal British Legion. Individuals will lose entitlement to this concession on remarriage (i.e. a formally recorded marriage or the registration of a civil partnership).
 
Applicants must however meet the eligibility criteria outlined below:
 
    (a) War Widow(er)s, and dependent children aged 16 and over in receipt of a Forces Family Pension from either the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975 or 2005 AND a War Widow(er)’s or Child’s War Pension.
 
    (b) War Widow(er)s, Recognised Partners and dependent children aged 16 and over in receipt of the Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP) from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme 2005.
 
 

Minimum fares / Time restrictions

For journeys made between 04:30 and 09:59 Monday to Friday, a minimum fare of £12 applies (except in July or August, or on public holidays). This applies to all Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets.

There are no minimum fares for all Advance tickets.

Off-Peak Day Travelcard

A minimum fare applies on adult Off-Peak Day Travelcards at all times (including July and August). The minimum fare is £8.00.

The minimum fare also applies to a discounted Zones 1-6 'Inboundary' Off-Peak Day Travelcard.

Note - Railcard discounts are not available on any other zonal combinations of Day Travelcards.

Anytime Day Travelcard

Railcard discounts are available on Anytime Day Travelcards from stations outside the London Fare Zones 1-9 area. These are subject to the normal rules applicable to the Railcard, but in addition an adult minimum fare also applies at all times (including July and August). The minimum fare is currently £17.20.

No discounts are available on Anytime Day Travelcards issued for journeys wholly within Zones 1-9.

Child discounts

Members of HM Forces or a spouse/civil partner of a member may take up to 4 children aged between 5 and 15 years (incl) on the date of travel, for a discount of 81% off the adult fare when travelling in First or Standard class accommodation, subject to a £1 minimum fare.

This concession does not apply if the railcard holder is a dependant of a member of HM Forces.

For full details of minimum fares, please ask at your local staff station or National Rail licensed Travel Agents.


Conditions of issue and use of the HM Forces Railcard

ATOC Ltd enters into the contract for the issue and use of the HM Forces Railcard on behalf of the Train Companies. Reference to a 'Train Company' or the 'Train Companies' means those Train Companies which, pursuant to a franchise agreement, operate Passenger Railway Services in Great Britain. Any other licensed passenger train operators that may join the arrangement will accept the HM Forces Railcard for travel on their services.

1. You must sign your Railcard before use to show acceptance of all the Conditions listed here.

2. The Railcard and tickets bought with it are not transferable and must not be given to or loaned to anyone else.

3. The Railcard does not become your property and if requested must be handed in to a representative of any Train Company.

4. You must present your Railcard and Photocard whenever you purchase a discounted ticket. You must carry your Railcard and Photocard with you and when asked by rail staff, you must show a valid ticket, valid Railcard, and valid Photocard otherwise the full fare will be payable as if no Railcard and/or no ticket were held.

5. The Railcard will not be valid if it is damaged. If a railcard is lost or stolen the railcard holder should report this to their unit administrative staff. A replacement railcard can then be issued at the full price £21 to the railcard holder. The new replacement railcard will carry a validity period of 12 months. The new railcard to be issued in conjunction with the existing photocard. A replacement Railcard cannot be issued at a National Rail station.

6. The Railcard is issued subject to the National Rail Conditions of Carriage and the Conditions listed here.

7. The Railcard can only be used for non-duty (leisure) travel only. Commuting between home and place of duty, work or education is not available.

 

Conditions of issue and use of reduced priced tickets ('discounted tickets') bought with the HM Forces Railcard

1. Tickets for your journey should be purchased before boarding the train. You must present your Railcard and Photocard whenever you purchase a discounted ticket. You must have your Railcard (and Photocard) with you on your journey and always show the valid Railcard and ticket to rail staff at their request.

If you do not show both the Railcard and the ticket, you will be required to pay the full price Standard Single fare for your journey as if no ticket was purchased before starting the journey. In some cases a penalty fare may be payable. This does not apply if there was no ticket office at the station at which you began your journey or if the ticket office was closed and there was no ticket machine from which you could buy a discounted ticket.

2. Minimum fares and time restrictions apply as detailed here.

3. In the case of some low price tickets the actual discount with a Railcard may be slightly lower than that advertised.

4. The right is reserved to revise these Conditions and availability of the tickets mentioned here. The Train Companies will endeavour to give three months' notice of any changes before they are due to come into effect.

5. Tickets issued to the holder of the Railcard are issued subject to the National Rail Conditions of Carriage and the Conditions listed here. Copies of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage are available from any staffed station ticket office or online at www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/nrcc/