Scotrail - what's the child fare policy?

cazziebo

My older daughter - supremely confident and aged 17 regularly gets a half fare on trains and then goes to over 18 bars.

My younger daughter is much more law abiding and would rather die than sit with a half price ticket when it should be full fare. She's 15 and very tall (just short of 6ft). She's making a long train journey soon - anyone know the age limits for half price tickets with Scotrail?

(I have checked their website and also trainline but can't find the policy anywhere. 16 is the limit for a young person's rail card)

Trixxie

"Children 5 - 15 years old travel half price and there is a 10% discount on adult fares to customers holding a Family Railcard"

HTH
Trixxie

parkside_stroller

Not strictly on topic but worth knowing for when she turns 16 (and perhaps worth mentioning to your older daughter - here is some information on concessions, including travel, open to young people in Scotalnd.

Some of the links give you an idea of what might be available locally but the Young Scot link and the http://www.givememycard.org/home.html links are national schemes.
There are a range of concessions available to young people at http://www.youngscot.org/

Both daughters could get this card to access cheaper travel among other things e.g. my 16 year old son got his through school and uses it to get cheaper entry to the local gym.

Here is a link to what young scot say about travel.
As you will see, cheaper travel within Scotland is accessed via the Young Scot National Entitlement Card - call the Young Scot info line on 0808 801 0338 for details of cheaper travel.

I don't know how this has been completely rolled out completely across Scotland but the fact there are now cheap fares for 16 - 18 year olds in Scotland which could help your daughter avoid the potential embarassment and fine for using child fare tickets if she gets caught.

Edinburgh City Council is certainly making a big thing about getting people to access it - see here. It might be worth checking with your local council via website or phone or trying to find a link on Young Scot. That could be patchy however e.g. if you follow the "what's happening in my area" link on the top right of young scot home page you can find info on Glasgow but none for East Lothian (where I live).

http://www.givememycard.org/

Will give you access to the dedicated Scotland wide transport website for the concessionary travel scheme for young people across Scotland. The scheme offers a third off the bus and rail fares within Scotland plus if you live on a Scottish island your young people would get two free return trips to the mainland a year.
The only cost in obtaining the card is to get a passport photo done.

cazziebo

Thanks parkside - they both have young scot cards. Great value - think it was organised through the school.

And thanks as well Trixxie - that's a great help.She'll have her passport with her so that will prove she is actually only 15.

p.mckinlay

The National Entitlement Card has been given to schoolchildren over 16 in our area (East Renfrewshire), but my son has been refused a discount 3 times on the bus. Twice on local buses into Glasgow and once going to Dunfermline. The drivers were really unpleasant to him. I complained to Stagecoach about the Dunfermline one and they sent him a voucher for a free return ticket and said that the driver had been "retrained"!

msmiller

When I was 14/15 I applied for a citizen card as I was fed up with not being let on for a half! Myself and a friend used to have to travel by train to get to school and I remember one day we were refused a child's fare on the train (think the conductor thought we were skiving) and then later that day we were id-ed for cigarettes! Needless to say,we were not impressed at all.

Edinburghlass_2

The Young Scot card can only be used for rail travel within Scotland but there is £5 off the Young Person's Rail Card until 8 September, with thanks to the OP of this thread...

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=530036

ailuro2

cazziebo wrote: »

My older daughter - supremely confident and aged 17 regularly gets a half fare on trains and then goes to over 18 bars.

I think we all did that- it was a matter of how much make-up you wore:p
Didn't have the nerve to pay child's fare on the bus on the way to the puob,though.:rotfl:

With good ID I see no reason why she shouldn't claim the discount she is entitled to- nearly 6ft tall or not!