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​Millennial 26-30 Railcard Goes On Sale In UK Today

​Millennial 26-30 Railcard Goes On Sale In UK Today

The so-called ‘millennial’ railcard costs £30 for the year, and could save people a third off most fares

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

If there's one thing Brits love to complain about, it's public transport. Buses being late, Tubes being overcrowded, drivers not bothering to show up - basically, getting from A to B is never the most pleasant of pastimes.

But finally we've got some transport-based good news, in the form of the long-awaited 26-30 railcard, which went on sale at 12pm today - a moment that's being dubbed a 'key milestone' in rail history.

The so-called 'millennial' railcard costs £30 for the year, and could save people a third off most fares.

The card was initially supposed to launch before the end of last year, but the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said the date was pushed back to today to avoid launching it on a bank holiday.

This, of course, meant that some people were no longer eligible; those who were born on 1 or 2 January 1988 became too old by the time it launched, as the cards can only be bought up to the day anyone turns 31.

Jacqueline Starr, managing director of customer experience for the RDG, said: "The launch of the National Rail 26-30 Railcard marks a key milestone in the rail industry's commitment to boost local communities by making rail travel more accessible."

10,000 of the cards were dished out in a trial back in March, selling out in no time and leaving many disappointed.

But now, all 4.5 million people within the eligible age bracket will be able to get their hands on one - well, figuratively speaking, as the card comes in digital form.

Tranport Secretary Chris Grayling has also discussed plans that would allow more than a million teens to benefit from cheaper travel later this year, with a new 16 & 17 railcard that launches in September.

Mr Grayling said: "The new 16 & 17 and 26-30 railcard will cut fares for a generation of travellers, ensuring more young people than ever will be able to travel on our railways for less."

Of course, while this is all a step in the right direction, let's not forget that the news comes on the same day that rail fares go up by an average of 3.1 percent.

Ah, the annual price hike. How we love thee - especially when it's reportedly the second highest average fare rise since 2013.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Transport, News, Trains, UK