Millennial railcard - latest updates: 26-30 train discount still 'impossible' to buy as website continues to crash

The elusive 26-30 railcard launched nationwide this morning, but buying one is still far from easy

The new 26-30 year old railcards to be available next week

Hoping to get hold of the new 26-30 railcard, dubbed the millennial railcard, today?

You may have a struggle on your hands – within minutes of the 10,000 available railcards going on sale at 7am this morning, the 26-30railcard.co.uk website was struggling to cope with demand and has been consistently crashing since then.

The Independent's deputy head of travel, Helen Coffey, was particularly keen to get her hands on one as she turns 31 tomorrow and will no longer be eligible for the coveted card after today.

Follow The Independent's struggle to purchase a millennial railcard in our liveblog below

Key Points

• Anticipated 'millennial railcard' was rolled out on 13 March
• 26-30 railcard website has been crashing since 7am
• Hold time of more than an hour to get through on the phone

[13 March 2018 15:08 · Helen Coffey]

It's now been eight hours since I started trying to buy the much-anticipated millennial railcard online. I started this morning at 7am; it's now 3pm. I was less stressed trying to get tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

A low point came when I tried to get through on the phone instead. After an hour and 10 minutes on hold, I connected with someone who took all my details down before telling me the system wouldn't put it through. They suggested I go back to the website.

So that's what I've done - eight hours and counting...

[13 March 2018 15:34 · Helen Coffey]

According to National Railcards' twitter account (which I have been obsessively checking for the last six hours): "Some customers are still having difficulty accessing the website however there are still 26-30 Railcards available. Again, we're so sorry about the delays and understand that it must be frustrating."

Yes, it is. But I am heartened by the claim that there are still railcards available. I pause in my work every five minutes, hit refresh a good 30 times on the website, alternating between two different browsers "just in case", and confidently expect to never get through to the purchasing page. What a rush!

[13 March 2018 16:04 · Helen Coffey]

Incredible scenes - I finally got through to an actual page! Maybe I'll be able to buy a railcard!

But alas, when I enter my email and click "Go", it turns out I'm going nowhere. The site crashes again and I'm back to this page:

The struggle continues.

[13 March 2018 16:25 · Helen Coffey]

I'm started to hear stories trickle through about the successful ones. The chosen ones. What special magic enabled them to buy the hallowed millennial railcard? I know not.

Adam Roebuck informs me on Twitter: "I got one by refreshing at 7am sharp and buying one immediately before leaving for work. Pure luck, I had no idea that's when they were going on sale. Sorry!"

That's OK Adam. You weren't to know.

Meanwhile Rosie Percy finally got one at 1.30pm, tweeting: "[panting, sweating, shakily raising mic] we did it. Guys, we did it."

I am trying not to get too angry with these people for whom fortune has smiled, and am instead channeling all my rage into further pointless refreshes. 

The National Railcard Twitter account has gone awfully quiet - perhaps they've all gone home? Or are hiding under their desks, weeping...

[13 March 2018 17:06 · Helen Coffey]

Rumours are reaching me of "hacks" to somehow dodge the gatekeeper and make it through to the buying stage.

One such myth piques my interest: "I got it by going through the 'Buy Now' button under 'Full Terms & Conditions', so maybe I stole a march on the main 'buy it here' page."

Tried it. Doesn't work.

Maybe next I'll try dousing my keyboard in unicorn tears. 

[13 March 2018 17:24 · Helen Coffey]

I'm not sure why, but Google Chrome seems to be a marginally better browser than Internet Explorer for the Herculean task of buying a £30 railcard - Chrome is consistently getting me to a login page (although resolutely no further), while IE is still hanging out on my old friend the "Service Unavailable" page.

Six and a half hours and counting until my discounted travel dreams are shattered.

[13 March 2018 17:39 · Helen Coffey]

I've lost sight of why I'm doing this now. Do I really want a railcard this much? Or do I just think I want one because I've spent nearly 10 hours attempting the impossible and if I stop trying now I'll have to admit it was all a waste of time? I appear to have stumbled into an existential crisis.

I'm supposed to be going out for a birthday dinner tonight; I start considering whether I could legitimately cancel it to stay at home and keep hitting the refresh button until midnight instead. 

[13 March 2018 17:45 · Helen Coffey]

Elation!!!

I've reached a whole new page!

Despair. I'm immediately back to this.

A little part of me has died.

[13 March 2018 17:52 · Helen Coffey]

It feels tantalisingly close now. I'm at a whole new page - could this actually happen for me? Could I actually leave my computer at some point today?

[13 March 2018 18:00 · Helen Coffey]

Currently battling to upload a photo of myself. Unknown error, says the railcard site. But I'm staying calm. I've come too far to give up now: refresh, refresh, refresh.