A railcard offering a third off train tickets will be available to all 26- to 30-year-olds before the end of the year, National Rail has confirmed.

The card will cost £30 a year and can be purchased by around four million people.

It is the first digital-only railcard, and must be bought online and downloaded to the railcard app. If a phone runs out of battery or is lost it can be swapped to another device.

The card can be used on Standard Anytime and Anytime Day Singles and Returns, any Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak journey, and on the London airport express services, though unfortunately for some commuters there is a £12 minimum fare for journeys made between 4:30am and 10am Monday to Friday (full details below). It also does not give discounts on season tickets.

National Rail said it estimated that 26-30 Railcard holders would save an average of £125 a year.

There are six other railcards – the 16-25, Disabled Persons, Family and Friends (for group travel), Network (for use in London and the South East), Senior, and Two Together (for travel in pairs). National Rail says cardholders make combined savings of £600m a year.

The 26-30 card, dubbed the ‘Millennial railcard’, was promised in last year’s budget and piloted from December, but delays to a nationwide roll out led some to think it would not go ahead.

A launch date has not been set but is expected to be announced soon.

The card will offer a third off the following tickets:

  • Standard Anytime and Anytime Day Singles and Returns
  • Standard Off-Peak and Off-Peak Day Singles and Returns
  • Standard Super Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak Day Singles and Returns
  • Standard and First Class Advance (must be booked ahead)
  • Most Rail Rovers fares
  • Gatwick Express, Stansted Express, Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect
  • Oyster Off-Peak pay as you go Daily Price Cap and Off-Peak pay as you go single fares for journeys on National Rail, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway
  • Off-Peak Day Travelcard Zones 1-6 and some ticket types offered by individual train companies – please enquire locally for details (Subject to minimum fare of £8.30)
  • Anytime Day Travelcard Zones 1-6 when bought as part of ticket to London from outside the London Zones area (Subject to minimum fare of £18.10)
  • PLUSBUS tickets

26-30railcard.co.uk