Veterans Railcard: a third off for UK armed forces veterans
Introduced to recognise service, the Veterans Railcard offers the standard third-off discount to anyone who has served in the UK Armed Forces — and extends it to a companion and children travelling with you.
The numbers
| Cost | £35 for 1 year, or £80 for 3 years |
| Discount | 1/3 off for the veteran, one adult companion, and up to 4 children (60% off) |
| Who | Anyone who has served in the UK Armed Forces, regular or reserve |
| Break-even | About £105 of fares — much less if a companion travels |
Who's eligible
Anyone who has served at least one day in HM Armed Forces (Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army, RAF), including reservists, and Merchant Mariners who saw duty on legally defined military operations. Length of service doesn't matter. You'll need to prove service — a veterans' ID card, discharge papers or a service record all work.
Pros
- Companion discount — a second adult gets a third off too, so break-even arrives twice as fast when you travel as a pair
- Children's discount — 60% off up to four children
- Valid on Anytime, Off-Peak and Advance fares, Standard and First Class
- Three-year option at £80
- No age limit and no requirement for recent service
Cons
- Time restrictions apply on some routes in the London and South East area during the weekday morning peak
- The companion must travel with you
- Not valid on season tickets
- Requires proof of service when applying, so it isn't instant
Who should buy it
Any veteran who travels by train more than a couple of times a year — especially if you usually travel with a partner or family, since the companion and child discounts effectively double or triple the value of the same £35.
Serving personnel should note this is a veterans card; if you're currently serving, look into HM Forces Railcard and the Defence Discount Service instead.
How to use it
Buy online (digital cards arrive in minutes and live in the Railcard app or your phone's wallet), add the card to your account on whichever ticket site you use, and the discount is applied automatically at checkout. Staff and barrier scanners check the card against the ticket, so carry the card — or your phone — whenever you travel on a discounted ticket.
Stack it with cheaper tickets
A Railcard discount applies on top of the fare you'd otherwise pay, so it combines with everything else that saves money:
- Advance tickets — book early for a specific train, then take the third off
- Off-peak travel — a cheaper base fare means the Railcard saves less in cash terms, but the total is still the lowest
- Split ticketing — the discount applies to each ticket in a split combination
Check your train before you travel
Once you've booked, you can watch your train run in real time on our live UK rail map — live position, platform, delay and the full stop-by-stop timetable for every service.
Prices and conditions were correct when this guide was written and can change — always confirm on the official Railcard site before buying.