EMA and student rail card

sarahpenny · 30 April 2008 at 12:35PM

Hello All.
Have been reading about the EMA which sounds like a good idea. My daughter will be starting college this year. Does anyone know if the cost of a railcard is less if a student gets EMA? Or if the cost of a rail card can be reduced in any other way? Thank you for any help

Oldernotwiser · 30 April 2008 at 12:54PM

Some bank accounts offer a free student railcard but that may be only at 18plus. I don't think there's any other way of reducing it. Your daughter may be able to get help from her college if her travel costs are very high.

tw1nklestar · 30 April 2008 at 2:08PM

iif your daughter will be getting mainline trains (not sure if it works with the underground) invest in a young persons rail card. My daughter has one and for a £20 (i think) and she saves a percentage on each rail fare. Hope this helps

KxMx · 2 May 2008 at 10:05AM

Yep go for the Young Persons Rail card which is now £24 and gives a 1/3 off travel. Some time restrictions apply though.

Elle00 · 2 May 2008 at 10:12AM

A Young Persons Railcard is probably unsuitable due to the times of day your daughter will have to travel. I'd take Oldernotwiser's advice.

malc_b · 2 May 2008 at 6:54PM

The easiest way to see if a young person's rail card is any use is to test it out at say thetrainline.com . What you may find is the same as me, no point! The YPRC has a minimum fare in the rush hour so for any reasonable commute the card is pointless. Jobseekers or OAPs are ok though, just not students! The other people who could benefit would be the young financier, commuting from the country to London so save driving his porche. He'd save 1/3 off the the standard day return from say Reading to London, £30 down to £20. Where is the sense in that?