Millennials applying for a new 26-30 railcard have branded the process an “absolute joke” after long online queues meant some face missing out on discounted fares.
The new railcards went on sale at noon on Wednesday, after a limited trial in March saw 10,000 sell out within hours.
Young people have told how they were left waiting several hours to buy a new card from the National Rail website and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has been branded “totally incapable of delivering anything on time”.
The so-called millennial railcards cost £30-a-year and save people aged between 26 and 30 a third off most fares, but they must be downloaded on to a smartphone.
Meanwhile, a list of “things to do while you wait”, published by Network Rail and including the suggestion “let your pet know how much you love them”, was ridiculed.
National Rail said it was “delighted” by the rush for railcards but admitted “experiencing high demand” for the cards “which is resulting in higher wait times than usual”.
It added that the same type of technology used by other businesses, such as Glastonbury, had been put in place for the launch.
A spokeswoman said: “When customers access the 26-30 railcard website they are automatically put into a live queue and are able to sign up to receive email alerts, so that they do not have to wait by their computer.
“There isn’t a limited number of railcards being made available, so anyone who isn’t planning to travel today can come back another day to make their 26-30 railcard purchase.”
Labour Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald said Grayling should have ensured National Rail was better prepared for the influx of customers, however, after the 2018 trial also saw people facing long waits.
He said: “Similar problems occurred last year when the card was first trialled so it’s disappointing if not surprising to see these delays.
“Chris Grayling is totally incapable of delivering anything on time.”
The new 26-30 scheme was made available to all 4.5 million Britons after the impact on revenue and passenger numbers was assessed.
There are no discounts on season tickets and a £12 minimum fare applies to all journeys between 4.30am and 10am, excluding weekends and public holidays.
It is the first nationwide railcard available for people travelling alone who are aged 26-59 and not disabled or in the armed forces.
Cardholders save an average of £125 a year, according to industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).