Ticket Sales

How many preserved railways and mainline rail tour operators recognize and accept Disabled Railcards?

I have a disabled card that I haven't been able to utilize fully ( due to Covid, lack of service at my local station etc) and was wondering if the likes of Ffestiniog/WHR, East Lancs, Saphos or West Coast recognize them.

Thanks in advance.

 

No, I'm afraid not. Disabled Railcards are a National Rail product are only valid on regular scheduled everyday services shown on here https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/.

Some private heritage railways may have special discounts e.g. the Mid-Hants offers a free Carers ticket https://watercressline.co.uk/facilities-accessibility/ but you would have to check with them individually. I'm not aware of charter train railtour operators offering discounts but again worth checking. In neither case would the Disabled Railcard be relevant.

Others on here may know more and post soon.

 

This is shown on the GCR website...

3. Registered disabled visitors are charged at the day return to Leicester rate (£20 adults and £11 Children); these tickets can be used as runabouts without time restriction. An accompanying registered carer is offered a free complimentary fare.

 

Slightly off at a tangent comment, but perhaps Swanage Railway and others who have ambitions to run on the mainline, may need to consider the implications of either accepting or not accepting national rail cards if / when they operate services on the mainline.

There has been talk of such railways offering through fares to / from the heritage railway but railcards adds a degree of complexity they may not be able to cope with / come to agreement on.

Whatever the decision (accept / not accept) I think it will be incumbent on the Heritage Railway to make crystal clear in their marketing what their policy is.

 

Isn't that already covered where through fares are offered on other railways?

More generally, railcards are a product of "National Rail" which heritage railways are not part of.

 

Chinnor and Princes Risborough offer a discount to National Railcard holders (see https://www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/article.php/257/fares)

They (and, in my experience, most other railways) also offer a free carer ticket to anyone who is registered disabled and needs someone to assist them.
Although both my partner and I are registered disabled and would be entitled to these discounts, we don't generally take advantage of them on heritage railways (or any other charitable organisations) as we're more than happy to support them by paying full price.

We do, however, get plenty of money's worth out of our Disabled Railcards! (Just one trip to London easily covers the cost).

 

But in the instance of Swanage Railway and possibly the East Lancs there is an implication that by their product offering they will appear to be included within the National Rail Network.

Hence my point it needs to be made crystal clear.

 

Then I suggest looking at the pricing of existing through tickets at SVR or Bluebell to see what reductions are on offer.

 

Well I have had a quick look and can not find details of through fares on either website. I reiterate the point about Swanage Railway was that they and thinking further the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership have referred to reconnecting to the mainline and to through fares, encouraging passengers to come to Wareham by national rail and connect there for services to Swanage. I consider that rather different emphasis places an obligation on SRC to be crystal clear in how their operation relates to the national network and what implications that has for fares, railcards and arguably also delay repay, passenger assistance and accessibility.

 

Sorry where is the implication? I have seen certain members on here talking about through tickets for Swanage, but I have seen no communication from either Swanage or the ELR to suggest that.
A through ticket I would have thought would (unless perhaps part of some special offer using vouchers or showing your NR ticket to obtain a discounted fare) would potentially create a liability on delay repay which could cost the railway far more than they would be getting for their share of the through ticket. Or who for example would provide the taxi if a late running SWR service means you miss the last train to Swanage? The DR maybe SWR's liability, not sure the taxi cost would not fall on SR.
I was unaware any Heritage line offered a railcard discount, maybe it is something Chinnor has introduced recently since their Princes Risborough link, as I had never seen it mentioned there.

 

NYMR manage it. I don't think it's too complicated.

 

Yet the NRE journey planner does not recognise the NYMR stations such as Levisham and offers Great Portland Street if you input Goathland. So I must assume they are not through tickets in the true meaning of the phrase.

 

So basically, mainline TOC's are not accepting Network Railcards, and only a few preserved railways recognize them.
My local station does not have enough trains to warrant renewing, forcing me to use my car more often!

Thanks for all your replies.

 

Careful - when you say "mainline TOCs", do you mean tour operators or timetabled operators?

 

TOC= Train operating companies.

 

Not sure I understand your post, by Network Railcards do you mean for example a Senior Railcard as all TOC's will accept that (possibly with the exception of Merseyrail I have read) who seem not to work to the rules in the NRCoT, despite having signed up to it.
I am unclear why, other than a goodwill gesture an HR would accept them

 

The websites for disabled and senior railcards seem to have reasonably clear info on what they are for.

 

I was at Maghull (Merseyrail Northern Line) a few months ago and they accepted my friend's Senior Railcard without a problem.
Ray.

 

Bit of a strange one this, heritage railways as private railways are not part of the national network, so I would not expect them to honour a National Railcard?

Anyway, some tips on railcards as one who has held one for a number of years years (started off with a young persons, currently hold a family railcard). At £30 for a year, just one longish journey a year can make this back. A 3 year railcard is even better value.
There is currently a third off for a new digital railcard (which is saved on an app on your phone), so £20 instead of £30 (£46 for 3 years). There are other promotions for season ticket holders etc (take a look at Money-saving expert website).
If you are not Young, Old, Disabled or know any children (they don't have to be your own!), consider a 2 together card if frequently travel with a friend or partner.
Or do what I do and swap £10 worth of Tesco vouchers for an annual railcard, a year's worth of discounted travel, effectively free (if you shop in Tesco regularly).
There are often local railcards available from supporter organisations of secondary routes, such as the Cambrian / Heart of Wales, for sometimes as little as £10 a year. Usually for local postcodes only.
If booked at the same time, a railcard will also get you savings on some ferry services (eg Wightlink, Stena line and CalMac services included in Highland Rover ticket) and PlusBus services.
If you only use the train a handful of times a year you should still save money, really is a no brainer.