Should I reorder my replacement 16-25 Railcard now

firsttimestudent

Hi,

Hope someone here would be able to give me the idea on what I should really do.

I have a few rail journeys to make starting this Friday (6 days time) - and then for 3 weeks after.

I figured that I will benefit from a 16-25 Railcard, so placed an order online last Thursday (9 days ago). The website says will arrive in 5 days. Figuring that it should be plenty of time, I also placed an order for my Friday's first journey, using the Rail Card discount online.

But until today, I have not received my railcard. I am getting a bit anxious about it getting lost in post/not processed properly.

1. Would you wait, or order a replacement now? It's free to order a replacement within 30 days.

b) If I ordered a replacement and the first one turns up in post, can the first one be used, or will it be invalidated?

2. The ticket that I bought with the railcard entitlement - what should I do if the railcard doesn't arrive? Will the train conductors accept my apology? Or should I upgrade it to a 'normal' rail ticket - will there be penalties like £10? Or should I try and take alternative routes which normally do not involve a train conductor (e.g. using the London Overground)

Thanks!

Stigy

firsttimestudent wrote: »

Hi,

Hope someone here would be able to give me the idea on what I should really do.

I have a few rail journeys to make starting this Friday (6 days time) - and then for 3 weeks after.

I figured that I will benefit from a 16-25 Railcard, so placed an order online last Thursday (9 days ago). The website says will arrive in 5 days. Figuring that it should be plenty of time, I also placed an order for my Friday's first journey, using the Rail Card discount online.

But until today, I have not received my railcard. I am getting a bit anxious about it getting lost in post/not processed properly.

1. Would you wait, or order a replacement now? It's free to order a replacement within 30 days.

b) If I ordered a replacement and the first one turns up in post, can the first one be used, or will it be invalidated?

2. The ticket that I bought with the railcard entitlement - what should I do if the railcard doesn't arrive? Will the train conductors accept my apology? Or should I upgrade it to a 'normal' rail ticket - will there be penalties like £10? Or should I try and take alternative routes which normally do not involve a train conductor (e.g. using the London Overground)

Thanks!

By rights the initial railcard should be invalidated should you order a replacement, but in practice, it takes alot of human input to find this out. I'd play it safe though and just use the renewed one if you do ask for another one!

If you board a train without the railcard but still use the discounted rail ticket, you could be penalty fared either £20 (in most cases where penalty fares apply) or twice the full single fare, whichever is the greater of the two amounts. Worse still, you would have committed an offence under railway byelaws (or Regulation of Railways Act as in theory, you would have boarded the train fully aware that you didn't have the railcard!) and will make yourself liable to prosecution if caught. The latter of the two offences is recordable too...I'd ask the train company to change the tickets and pay the difference for standard tickets worst case scenario!

rosalie-lavender

My family railcard and later on both my two boys railcards both ordered seperately were here within 3 days. In fact I think two of them were here in two days. It does sound possible yours has gone astray. Before you order a new one I would log on and see if it is possible to check the address is correct and all your details are correct.

I wouldn't chance it without the railcard. On a train journey recently my son was asked to show his card.

geordie_taxi

if it does not cost you out then reorder one

it aint worth the hassle travelling without a railcard there's far to much paperwork involved in getting a £25 penalty fare rescinded