UK extends half-price rail discount for 18-year-olds
Business · 18 August 2026
Written by AI from multiple news reports
The UK government extended the 16-17 Saver Railcard on 17 August, so that 18-year-olds can now use it until they turn 19.
The card costs £35 a year and gives passengers half-price tickets on most train journeys. Before this change, young people lost access to the discount on their 18th birthday. This created a financial problem for students still in school or starting college.
More than 70,000 students a year were paying an average of £175 extra on train travel after turning 18. People who are 17 can buy the card up until the day before their 18th birthday. The new rules came into force on 17 August.