7 railcard hacks that can help you save on train travel

Here’s my ultimate guide to making the cost of a railcard go further

Buying a railcard can help you save hundreds of pounds a year (iStock)

Anyone who has travelled by train in the past few years is well aware of how expensive rail fares have become, which is why it’s wiser than ever to invest in a railcard.

Offering at least a third off most rail journeys, a railcard can quickly pay for itself, even if you don’t travel by train that often. Most one-year railcards cost around £35, which is what you’ll save on journeys if you spend around £105 within the year. This may sound like a lot, but with current prices, you could end up spending this much on just a handful of return journeys.

I was curious to find out how much owning a railcard saved me last year. It turns out I spent a massive £326.15 on train journeys in 2025, but without my discount, this would have cost me around £489.23. That means my railcard saved me about £163 last year, which isn’t too shabby.

However, there are ways you can make your railcard even more lucrative. From helping you buy a railcard for a fraction of the price to tips for maximising your discount, here are my seven railcard hacks to help you make the most of your trusty travel companion.

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1. Look for railcard discount codes

While railcards tend to be priced around £35, there are usually deals out there. Right now, we’ve got exclusive offers from TrainPal to help you save. New TrainPal customers can get 20 per cent off, whereas existing customers can get 10 per cent off, when you use the codes below.

2. Use your Clubcard points to buy a railcard

More than 24 million people in the UK have a Tesco Clubcard. If you’re one of them, you could use your points towards the cost of a railcard.

Through Tesco’s reward partners, you can double the value of your points, so you can convert every £2.50 in vouchers into £5 to spend towards a one-year railcard. Not all types of railcard are available through Tesco reward partners, though – this trick only works when you buy a 16-25, senior, disabled persons, ‘family and friends’ or a ‘two together’ railcard.

3. Buddy up to split the cost of a railcard

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If you usually travel with a particular person – your partner, friend or family member, for example – you can save by splitting the cost of a ‘two together’ railcard (£35, Twotogether-railcard.co.uk). This still gets you a third off the price of most train journeys, but only when you both travel together.

Similarly, if you’ve got a child aged between five and 15, you can team up with another adult with kids to get a family and friends railcard (£35, Familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk). By doing this, you and the other cardholder can use the railcard to travel with up to four adults and up to four children.

This will grant you a third off travel for the adults and 60 per cent off for the kids. You and the other adult don’t need to travel together, but you do need to have at least one child with you.

4. About to turn 31? Buy a new railcard just before your birthday

Anyone between the age of 16 and 30 can get a railcard. You can continue to use most railcards until they expire, even if you are no longer part of the age group the railcard is for (such as 26-30).

So if you’re about to turn 31, it might be worth buying a new 26-30 railcard at the last moment, so you can continue to get discounted travel for the longest possible time.

It may be worth doing this trick even if you already have an active railcard, though you’ll need to set up another account to buy the new railcard. This could result in you having two active railcards for a period of time, but it may still save your money in the long run. You’ll need to consider whether the savings you’ll make outweigh the cost of doubling up on railcards.

5. Get 50 per cent off train journeys with a 16-17 railcard

When you’re either 16 or 17, there are two railcard options available: a 16-17 railcard or a 16-25 railcard. But the difference is important, as a 16-17 railcard gets you 50 per cent off train travel rather than the usual third, so it makes the most financial sense to buy one before you age out of it.

Unlike most other age-based railcards, you can’t use your 16-17 railcard once you turn 18 – regardless of when you buy the railcard, it will only be valid up until the day you turn 18.

6. Students can get a railcard for free with a Santander account

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If you’re taking an undergraduate course or a level four to seven apprenticeship, it could be worth getting a Santander Edge Student account. I did this when I was at university, and I can’t begin to think of how much it saved me on my trips home between semesters.

Once you’ve opened the account and registered for online banking, you’ll receive a railcard code within five days, which you can use to get a four-year 16-25 railcard for free. You must use this code within 60 days – it won’t be reissued if it expires.

You’ll need to pay in at least £500 into your Santander Edge Student account every four months to stay eligible.

7. Live or work in London? Add your railcard to your Oyster card

This is well worth doing if you live or work in the capital, as you’ll get a third off your fares on the Tube, Elizabeth Line, Overground and National Rail in London during off-peak times. If you have a disabled persons railcard, you’ll get the discount during peak times, too.

I’ll be honest, getting this discount is a bit of a faff. You’ll need to order an Oyster card or register yours online if you already have one. Then, take it to a Tube, Overground or Elizabeth Line station along with your railcard and ask a member of staff to connect your railcard to your Oyster account.

Please note that you can only add the following railcards to an Oyster account: 16-25 railcard, 26-30 railcard, senior railcard, HM Forces railcard, veterans railcard and disabled persons railcard. The discount will only work when you use your Oyster card – unfortunately, you can’t add a railcard to your contactless payments.

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