A new railcard giving teenagers half-price train travel goes on sale today.
Holders of the 16-17 Saver will pay child fares for journeys in England and Wales despite being older than 15.
The railcard can be bought online from 9am and used to save money on travel from 2 September, ahead of the new academic year.
Train operators claim passengers will save an average of £186 per year on journeys to school, college, work and leisure trips by using it. The 50% reduction will apply to most fares, including peak, off-peak and season tickets.
The railcard costs £30 and will be valid for one year (or until the passenger’s 18th birthday if that comes earlier). But discounted season tickets can continue to be used for up to four months after a customer turns 18.
[Read More: How To Buy The New 26-30 Railcard Online]
After a child’s 16th birthday, they have previously been able to save a third on rail fares by purchasing a 16-25 Railcard, but this saving is not applicable to season tickets.
Office of Rail and Road figures show that, between January 1995 (around the time the network began being privatised) and January 2019, average fares increased by 21%.
Regulated fares including season tickets will increase by up to 2.8% next year.
Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said the brand-new railcard will mean a generation of rail passengers can now benefit from cheaper fares, “keeping money in their pocket and helping them get to school, college and work”.
“We want to create a railway system that’s fit for the 21st century and provides a reliable, punctual journey,” he said.
Transport Focus welcomed the launch of the railcard but suggested its validity could have been extended.
The watchdog’s director, David Sidebottom, said: “It’s good that the 50% discount that this offers will apply to peak period and season tickets, but it would be better if this card also covered the entire sixth-form period.
“As it stands, students turning 18 early in their second year of studies will lose this valuable discount.”