The date when 26-30 Railcards will be made available to everyone in the age group has been announced.
2 January 2019 is the date to put in your diary if you're lucky enough to be eligible for one.
10,000 of the railcards went on sale in March this year, causing a mad scramble and leaving many people disappointed when they were unable to get one.
It was announced in October that they would be made available to everyone in the age group nationwide "by the end of the year". The Railcards company has slightly missed that deadline, citing bank holidays as the reason for the January date. Given that the Christmas bank holidays happen every year, we don't know how they didn't plan for it, but here's what they said:
We intended to launch the 26-30 Railcard by the end of the year,given how timings have worked out this would mean launching it over a bank holiday. When the 26-30 Railcard goes on sale we want to be able to provide you with the best possible experience. It will go on sale 2nd Jan
— Railcards (@_Railcards) November 30, 2018
We fully anticipate there being a mad scramble for Railcards on that day (midday is the launch time, FYI) — particularly given that an average 3.1% fare increase kicks in on that day too. But don't fret if you don't get one straight away, as they'll be available permanently in unlimited numbers from this date.
The 26-30 Railcard costs £30 for a year and can be used to save 30% on UK rail tickets — although there are some restrictions on peak fares and tickets — more information here.
