National Railcards HM Forces Railcard

National Railcards HM Forces Railcard

What is the HM Forces Railcard?

The HM Forces Railcard costs £21 and it'll save you 1/3 on most rail fares throughout Great Britain for a whole year. That works out to under £2 a month for huge savings. You're eligible if you're a member of the Regular Forces or Volunteer Reserves or a spouse/civil partner of a member, for more details see eligibility.

There are plenty of ways you can use your Railcard, for both long and short trips. Better still you can use it anytime on weekends, Public Holidays and during the week. The only restriction is that if you travel before 10am Monday to Friday (except during July and August) a minimum fare will apply. For more details see minimum fares.
 
Your HM Forces Railcard will save you 1/3 on many tickets. As with most things in life, there are some exceptions, so take a look at the ticket types you can and can't make savings on with your HM Forces Railcard.
 
Please note that 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.

Where Can I Buy One?

• To apply for your Railcard please see your Unit HR admin staff. The cost of the Railcard is deducted from your pay.
• HM Forces Railcards can be obtained by war widows/widowers and their dependants, through the Royal British Legion. Applicants will need to be in receipt of a Forces Family pension.
• HM Forces Railcards cannot be purchased at National Rail stations or online.

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

We've tried to provide answers to some of the questions you might have about buying or using the HM Forces Railcard.

Check out our FAQs to see if you can find what you need to know.

Validity

1. Can I use my Railcard at any time of day?
2. Can I use my Railcard on any Train Company?
3. Can I use my Railcard if I purchase my ticket on the train?
4. Can I use my Railcard to buy tickets for other people?
5. Will I have to pay the full fare if I forget to bring my Railcard when I travel?
6. Can I reserve my seat if booking a ticket in advance?
7. Can I obtain discount on Season tickets and period Travelcards with the HM Forces Railcard?
8. Can I use my Railcard on Sleeper Trains?
9. Can I use my Railcard for tickets on the London Underground?
10. Will I receive the Railcard discount on any chargeable items I take on the train with me?
11. Can I use my Railcard in conjunction with Train Company special offers?
12. Can I use my existing Railcard after leaving the service?
13. Can a MOD Rail Warrant be used to purchase a ticket discounted by the HM Forces Railcard? 

Can I Use My Railcard At Any Time Of Day?

• Yes you can, however for all journeys made before 10am, Monday to Friday (excluding July & August and Public Holidays), a minimum fare applies.

Can I use my Railcard on any Train Company?

• Yes. Your Railcard is accepted by all of the Train Companies who operate Passenger Railway Services in Great Britain except Eurostar. Special excursions and charters are also excluded.

Can I Use My Railcard If I Purchase My Ticket On The Train?

• If the opportunity exists to buy your ticket before you board the train, then you must do so, otherwise you could be charged the full price Standard Single fare.
• However, if there is no ticket office, or the ticket office is closed and there is no ticket machine from which to buy your discounted ticket, then you will be able to purchase your discounted ticket on board the train from the conductor.

Can I Use My Railcard To Buy Tickets For Other People?

• Members of HM Forces, including Volunteer Reservists, 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 aged 16 and 17 years only.
• The Railcard does not allow you to purchase tickets for another adult at a discount

Will I Have To Pay The Full Fare If I Forget To Bring My Railcard When I Travel?

• Yes. You must show your valid Railcard and Photocard when you buy your ticket.
• You must also have your Railcard and Photocard with you on each journey and present to staff when your ticket is checked aboard the train.
• Failure to present both your Railcard and Photocard will mean a full fare is payable, which is not refundable.

Can I Reserve My Seat If Booking A Ticket In Advance?

• Yes. Many Train Companies will allow you to reserve a seat free of charge on longer distance journeys.

Can I Obtain Discount On Season Tickets And Period Travelcards With The HM Forces Railcard?

• No, the Railcard offers no discount on these ticket types.

Can I Use My Railcard On Sleeper Trains?

• Travelling on a Sleeper Train requires two payments, one for the rail ticket and one for the berth.
• The Railcard will give you a discount on the rail ticket element, but not on the berth fee.
• From time to time, the different Train Companies may advertise special offers for Railcard holders.

Can I Use My Railcard For Tickets For Travel On The London Underground?

• With your Railcard you can get 1/3 off a London Zones 1-6 Off-Peak Day Travelcard (subject to a minimum fare) and an Anytime Day Travelcard when bought as part of your journey to London from outside London Zones 1-9 (subject to a minimum fare).
• With an Oyster card, you can get your Railcard discount loaded onto your Oyster card to save 1/3 on single off-peak pay as you go fares on London Underground and Docklands Light Railway services in London.
• You will need to have registered your Oyster in your name to do this.
• Simply take your Oyster card and valid Railcard to a London Underground station and ask a member of staff to set the discount for you.
• You can also get the discount set at Oyster Ticket Shops and Visitor Centres.

Will I Receive The Railcard Discount On Any Chargeable Items I Take On The Train With Me?

• The Railcard discount does not cover charges on accompanied articles or animals.
• For details of which items carry a charge, and details of the charges, please call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.

Can I Use My Railcard In Conjunction With Train Company Special Offers?

• Your Railcard may get you the full 1/3 discount on some Train Company special offers, but many special offers include a smaller discount or no discount at all.
• It's best to ask at your local station for details of a specific offer or call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50 or go to nationalrail.co.uk

Can I Use My Existing Railcard After Leaving The Service?

• You are permitted to use the railcard until its expiry date, even if you leave the service before this time.
• After this date you will no longer be eligible to apply for the railcard (Units have been advised not to withdraw railcards from personnel on termination of service).

Can a MOD Rail Warrant Be Used To Purchase A Ticket Discounted By The HM Forces Railcard?

• The use of MOD warrants or any other rail warrant to purchase a railcard discounted ticket is not permitted.

Refunds/Replacements

Can I Claim A Refund If I Don Not Use My Railcard?

• No. Unfortunately the HM Forces Railcard is not refundable.

What Do I Do If My Railcard Is Lost Or Stolen?

• 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 of £21 to the railcard holder.
• The new replacement railcard will carry a validity period of 12 months.
• The new railcard will be issued in conjunction with the existing photocard.
• A replacement Railcard cannot be issued at a National Rail station or online.

Renewing

Where Can I Renew My Railcard?

• To renew your HM Forces Railcard please call in at your Unit administration office.
• A replacement Railcard cannot be issued at a National Rail station or online.

Can I Renew My Railcard In Advance?

• You can renew your Railcard up to one month in advance of its expiry date (providing there is no break in continuity) when you renew at your Unit administration office.

Contact Us With Your Comments

• If you have any comments or suggestions to make about a specific journey or a specific Train Company then please contact the Train Company or Train Companies who run the service or station that you are concerned about.

If you have any general enquiries regarding the HM Forces Railcard then please email Lee Grainger at Rail Delivery Group at lee.grainger@raildeliverygroup.com

Eligibility

The following are eligible to be issued with the HM Forces Railcard:

1. All members of the Regular Forces wherever they are stationed.
2. All members of the Volunteer Reserve.
3. Non-Regular Permanent Staff.
4. Members of the Regular Reserve during periods of full time service of at least 3 months.
5. Commissioned Officers of the RAF Reserve carrying out full time duties in uniform in peacetime.
6. NATO personnel serving in official NATO UK appointments under the direct command of the MoD (or NATO HQ).
7. Members of other Government Defence Forces serving in official exchange appointments.
8. Spouses/civil partners of those above.
9. Dependant children of those above. Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details. 
10. Widows/Widowers and their dependant children may retain the use of purchased HM Forces Railcards for the remainder of the valid period until the existing expiry date of the card.
11. Thereafter, HM Forces Railcards can be obtained by war widows/widowers and their dependants, through the Royal British Legion.

Terms and Conditions & More on Eligibility

Minimum Fares / Time Restrictions

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/