Rail Cards

GibbsRule_No3.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81879737#Comment_81879737

I have bought Senior Rail Cards for both of us. I have the Freedom Pass as an OAP in London, so I will not need the SRC for trips on Bus, Tube or SWR but will when we use Trains for our trips beyond the Zones. I am hoping I can add her SRC to an Oyster card, so she can get 1/3 off the train trips we do in London. It does look like I need to buy a new Oyster card for her though, as it seems my old Oyster card is registered to me and both SRC and OC need to be showing the same name. Hoping I can add the SRC to OC before she arrives in the country, so we are up and running for Tap & Go, as soon as we leave the house with discount in place. Assume I can register new Oyster in her name but have the card linked to my bank account for topping up?

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81885387#Comment_81885387

Don't think that the Oyster card being attached/registered to an account in your name will be a problem, or at least it wasn't when we added RCs to two Oyster cards, both registered to me.

What I'm not sure about is the need for the person named on the Railcard to be physically present when the RC/OC are linked (or not).

Maybe give TfL a ring, 0343 222 1234* or, if a station is convienient, just give it a go.

Assume you've been able to sign on to your Oyster account and check the card is still active?

*Quietly happy that 222 1234 is still the "London Transport" enquiry number I remember from my childhood.

martindow

Can you change the name on an old Oystercard if it turns out that TfL want names to match? Alternatively you can buy paper day London Travelcards using a Senior Railcard to get a discount on London travel although you can only buy these at railway booking offices as far as I know.

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81885574#Comment_81885574

Checking for this change, seems there's no mechanism for this - the actual process would be to refund and cancel the card (if the card was issued prior to 02/2020 you can get the £5 deposit back, if newer, tough) and buy a new one, register in new name and fund.

Are tickets with railcard discounts now available from rail ticket machines? Used to be it was ticket office only.

Emmia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81885608#Comment_81885608

Tickets for national rail with Railcard discount can be purchased from machines, no problem - they can also be bought via an app. There's no check for the Railcard at the point of purchase - but you'll need to produce a valid railcard if/when the ticket is checked

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81886140#Comment_81886140

Thanks for that, was confusing National Railcards (where I knew about online purchase but not machines) and the locally issued Entitlement Cards for 60+ and others. These MAY give some discount on local rail but don't think all are accepted online/machine.

GibbsRule_No3.

I was early for a train at Richmond on Sunday, so checked out the machines before making my way to the Ticket Office, luckily before I got there a very nice man in a TFL bib asked if he could help. I told him I wanted to buy an Oyster card but it looked like the machines did not have them, only a top up option, he said that was right as TFL did not give Richmond permission. Strange as Richmond is lucky enough to have Tube, Overground Mildmay Line and SWR Trains, but Hey Ho! I lnew I could buy an Oyster card in a local shop. I then explained that I had a Senior Rail Card for my US friend and wanted to add it to the Oyster Card so we could just Tap & Go (I have my Freedom Pass) to save wasting time when travelling, cannot do that at Richmond but can at Kew Gardens, he advised going to Hammersmith as they really are equipped to do everything I want done. I then asked if my US friend needed to be present and he said no, so hopefully he is correct. I have a month to sort things.

I will probably just buy electronic train tickets for our travels outside London.

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81887995#Comment_81887995

Did you not see my example posted above, the one where I explicitly give my experience at Richmond station?

The linking process can be done at the stations shown on the TfL site

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-travel/national-railcard-discount

Beware of the definition of Tube Station (from experience, Richmond - No, Hammersmith - Yes) 

Extra hint, if going to Hammersmith, go to the Circle & Hammersmith & City Lines station, the old, smaller one over the Broadway, it's less busy than the bigger one that's buried inside a shopping mall.

GibbsRule_No3.

I had seen your message, hence why I looked at the machines for the Oyster card, as I was approached by the TFL man I thought I'd chance my arm and ask. Even stranger that Richmond is at the end of the District Line, no idea why TFL think it would not be useful to have the option there. Have not decided where I will go, it won't cost me anything to get it sorted, but I do tend to go more into London, Waterloo than via Hammersmith.

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81888108#Comment_81888108

Take your point. The Richmond ticket office guy explained it to me as only "proper" tube stations have the necessary ticket machines to do the OC/RC link jig, Richmond is a "rail" station, apparently.

Waterloo Underground is presumably proper, although I'd be tempted to use Southwark or Lambeth North just to avoid the crowds. Southwark is also opposite TfL's HQ, so if it doesn't work you can pop over and go "Oi!".