New Railcard names? Any Changes?

[whole diary]

[devonian]

I just bought some tickets from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) website, and when selecting my YP Railcard, I noticed that it no longer exists and has been replaced by 16-25 Railcard. Likewise, Family Railcard is now labelled Family and Friends Railcard.

Does anyone know anything about this? Is it just a name change? Am I no longer considered young at 25? 

More importantly, are there any condition changes or usage changes?

[Conner]

Name changes, nothing else.

Names changed to avoid confusion as to ages of Young persons and that it doesn't have to be a related family on Family.

[swlines]

Nah - the names have been changed to make it simpler to understand.... besides the fact that anyone in full time education can get a YPR...

Oh, and the Family & Friends name is the only good thing out of the changes to the railcard.

[Mookiemoo]

Nah - the names have been changed to make it simpler to understand.... besides the fact that anyone in full time education can get a YPR...

Oh, and the Family & Friends name is the only good thing out of the changes to the railcard.

Out of curiosity - does this apply to the OU

as well as working I am a full time student - I do 120 credits which is a full time course load

Technically I am no different than someone attending oxford and working

Will be interested to find out

[swlines]

If you're aged 26 or over and in full time education, you'll need to provide proof that you're a full-time student at a recognised school or college.  You have to attend for over 15 hours a week and for at least 20 weeks a year.  You can either show an ISIC card or have the 'Mature students only' section of the application form completed and certified.

[Shazz]

Young persons doesnt apply to first class, so it's pointless for you

[swlines]

Does on AP!

[Mookiemoo]

Young persons doesnt apply to first class, so it's pointless for you

Bummer

I did look at the regulations and it does say the OU does not qualify for the mature persons - BUT I do know you CAN get an ISIC card as part of the OU.

I might try to get one anyway for those journeys when I dont go 1st - and if I could wangle one, it may put the differential (which at the moment is ^6 per day after tax) big enough to make me reconsider - especially as the project hots up and I end up only travelling every other day and staying in hotels

[Mookiemoo]

Does on AP!

No AP on cotswolds line!

But there is on Ludlow-newport and newport-RDG^‡(resolve).....

[Mookiemoo]

And here's the dichotomy:

From the 16-25 railcard site:

You can either show an ISIC card (International Student Identity Card)or have the 'Mature Students Only' section of the application form completed and certified

Also from the 16-25 railcard site:

 NUS cards will not be accepted as proof of age/educational status (Open University, distance learning and part-time courses do not qualify).

From the ISIC website:

- An Open University 'confirmation of registration' for 60 points or more. (which I can get!)

So............bring it on (I visit my mum every 2-3 weeks - it will save me ^6 a time alone!)

Maybe whoever controls railcards needs to harmonise their conditions (she says thinking of how much she could have saved over the years since 2003)

[signalandtelegraph]

Nah - the names have been changed to make it simpler to understand.... besides the fact that anyone in full time education can get a YPR...

Oh, and the Family & Friends name is the only good thing out of the changes to the railcard.

Out of curiosity - does this apply to the OU

as well as working I am a full time student - I do 120 credits which is a full time course load

Technically I am no different than someone attending oxford and working

Will be interested to find out

Just to play devils advocate, I thought that the whole point was that it gave you a discount if you were in full time education because you wouldn't be earning.. Sounds like a case of cake and eat it to me?

[Mookiemoo]

Nah - the names have been changed to make it simpler to understand.... besides the fact that anyone in full time education can get a YPR...

Oh, and the Family & Friends name is the only good thing out of the changes to the railcard.

Out of curiosity - does this apply to the OU

as well as working I am a full time student - I do 120 credits which is a full time course load

Technically I am no different than someone attending oxford and working

Will be interested to find out

Just to play devils advocate, I thought that the whole point was that it gave you a discount if you were in full time education because you wouldn't be earning.. Sounds like a case of cake and eat it to me?

It probably is = but I dont care

I get 10% discount from Apple every time I order something from them as well.

However, to argue your devils advocat, when I was in a traditional university, I still worked 20 hours a week in a bookies - that is considered a full time job.

I do not know of many students who dont work these days - certainly post 18 - and certainly if mature students

[Tim]

And here's the dichotomy:

From the 16-25 railcard site:

You can either show an ISIC card (International Student Identity Card)or have the 'Mature Students Only' section of the application form completed and certified

Also from the 16-25 railcard site:

 NUS cards will not be accepted as proof of age/educational status (Open University, distance learning and part-time courses do not qualify).

From the ISIC website:

- An Open University 'confirmation of registration' for 60 points or more. (which I can get!)

So............bring it on (I visit my mum every 2-3 weeks - it will save me ^6 a time alone!)

Maybe whoever controls railcards needs to harmonise their conditions (she says thinking of how much she could have saved over the years since 2003)

About 5 years ago (when I was over 26) I was able to buy a YP railcard with an ISIC card.  My job sent me on a three month full time diploma course at University of Londonstarting in October 2002.  My NUS card entitled me to an ISIC card (^6) and my ISIC card entitled me to a Rail card .  My course finished on 6 Jan 2003, and this was shown as an expiry date on my NUS card, but I was able to use my NUS card on 5 Jan 2003 to buy an ISIC card valid until 30 Dec 2003, which I was able to use to buy an YP rail card valid until 29 December 2004. I was a student  for 3 months, but I had a YP railcard for over 2 years. 

Was this legal?

[vacman]

Was probably legal, one thing about Y-P cards is that they are the most miss-used railcards of the lot, i.e. more people are prosecuted for fraudulent travel for offences involving Y-P cards (well, usually the lack of a Y-P card!)

[Mookiemoo]

And here's the dichotomy:

From the 16-25 railcard site:

You can either show an ISIC card (International Student Identity Card)or have the 'Mature Students Only' section of the application form completed and certified

Also from the 16-25 railcard site:

 NUS cards will not be accepted as proof of age/educational status (Open University, distance learning and part-time courses do not qualify).

From the ISIC website:

- An Open University 'confirmation of registration' for 60 points or more. (which I can get!)

So............bring it on (I visit my mum every 2-3 weeks - it will save me ^6 a time alone!)

Maybe whoever controls railcards needs to harmonise their conditions (she says thinking of how much she could have saved over the years since 2003)

About 5 years ago (when I was over 26) I was able to buy a YP railcard with an ISIC card.  My job sent me on a three month full time diploma course at University of Londonstarting in October 2002.  My NUS card entitled me to an ISIC card (^6) and my ISIC card entitled me to a Rail card .  My course finished on 6 Jan 2003, and this was shown as an expiry date on my NUS card, but I was able to use my NUS card on 5 Jan 2003 to buy an ISIC card valid until 30 Dec 2003, which I was able to use to buy an YP rail card valid until 29 December 2004. I was a student  for 3 months, but I had a YP railcard for over 2 years. 

Was this legal?

It does say in the small print that this is legal - so long as the card that got you the rail card was legal at the time of acquisition of the rail card, the rail card stays valid afterwards