The Disabled Persons Railcard is a concessionary fare scheme in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

giving eligible passengers with disabilities benefits on the

National Rail National Rail (NR) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group, an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England, Scotland, and Wales. The TOCs run the p ...

network including a 1/3 discount on fares.

Card and discounts

The card is available as a one-year validity card for £20 and as a three-year validity card for £54. The Railcard holder can take another adult with them at the same discount rate. All franchised train operating companies in Great Britain must accept the Railcard and offer discounts under terms set out in the

Railways Act 1993 The Railways Act 1993c 43 was introduced by John Major's Conservative Party (UK), Conservative government and passed on 5 November 1993. It provided for the restructuring of the British Railways Board (BRB), the public corporation that owned and ...

. The Railcard is managed by

Rail Delivery Group The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), previously the Association of Train Operating Companies, is the British rail industry membership body that brings together passenger and freight rail companies, Network Rail and High Speed 2. History From 24 Oc ...

. It is aimed at people who have the most difficulty using rail for a reason relating to their

disability Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be Cognitive disability, cognitive, Developmental disability, dev ...

. Its purpose is to encourage people to use the train and to reduce the cost for those who need to be accompanied by a

carer A caregiver or carer is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers. Caregivers most commo ...

. As of July 2022, there are over 228,000 Disabled Persons Railcards in circulation.

Origins

British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...

(BR) introduced the Disabled Persons Railcard in 1981 to mark the

International Year of Disabled Persons The year 1981 was proclaimed the International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) by the United Nations. It called for a plan of action with an emphasis on equalization of opportunities, rehabilitation and prevention of disabilities. The slogan of I ...

. Sir Peter Parker was Chairman of BR at the time and the

British Railways Board British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

included Tom Libby and wheelchair user Bill Buchanan, who was "Special Adviser on the Disabled". Tom Libby and Bill Buchanan together with Sir Bert Massie (RADAR) were tasked to design and develop the Disabled Persons Railcard. The Railcard initially cost £5. Its price increased to £14 in the 1990s and then in 2006 to £18. A three-year Railcard was also introduced in September 2006 at £48. The price increased again in January 2011, to its current cost of £20 for a year. The three year railcard was increased the same year, costing £54 (£18 per year). these prices are still in effect.

Qualifying disabilities

Applicants must submit evidence to show that their disability makes them eligible for a Disabled Persons Railcard. A passenger is eligible for the Disabled Persons Railcard if they * receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) * receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Child Disability Payment (CDP) at either: ** the higher or lower rate for the mobility component ** the higher or middle rate for the care component * have a

visual impairment Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

* have a

hearing impairment Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spoken l ...

* have

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...

* receive

Attendance Allowance Attendance Allowance is a non-contributory Social Security benefit paid to elderly disabled people in the United Kingdom. It was introduced in the National Insurance (Old Persons' and Widows' Pension and Attendance Allowance) Act 1970 . The benefit ...

Severe Disablement Allowance Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) was a United Kingdom state benefit intended for those below the state pension age who cannot work because of illness or disability. It was replaced by Incapacity Benefit in April 2001, which itself was replaced by ...

or Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) * receive War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement * receive War or Service Disablement Pension for 80% or more disability * buy or lease a vehicle through the Motability scheme

Disabled people and trains

Historically, the design of most British trains did not enable wheelchair users to travel in the main passenger area. Passenger doors were too narrow and the fixed seating layout did not give wheelchair users space to manoeuvre. When wheelchair users could travel by rail, it was in the guard's van. The introduction of

High Speed Trains High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...

and sliding door carriages in the 1970s and 1980s, did much to improve access for disabled passengers, especially with wider doors and priority seating giving people more leg room. The

Disability Discrimination Act 1995 The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c. 50) (informally, and hereafter, the DDA) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which has now been repealed and replaced by the Equality Act 2010, except in Northern Ireland where the Act ...

introduced design standards for the future design and construction of public transport vehicles. So, in November 1998 the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations were introduced. These had a significant impact on the design of new trains and refurbishment of existing ones. Rail Vehicle Regulations also formed the basis of the TSI-PRM, a European standard for heavy rail vehicles accessibility.

Issuing

In 2008, issuing arrangements moved to Scottish contact centre operator, Journeycall, based in

Brechin Brechin (; gd, Breichin) is a city and former Royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin was described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese (which continues today ...

and

Laurencekirk Laurencekirk (, sco, Lowrenkirk, gd, Eaglais Labhrainn), colloquially known as "The Lang Toun" or amongst locals as simply "The Kirk", is a small town in the historic county of Kincardineshire, Scotland, just off the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen ...

. This move also saw the introduction of automated ticket issuing systems and increased call centre opening hours (available between 07.00 and 22.00 every day except Christmas Day). In 2014, Journeycall moved from its Brechin and Laurencekirk offices to a new contact centre at

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...

. Railcard holders are issued renewal reminders

Marketing

Management and marketing of the Railcard is led by the Disability & Inclusion and National Railcards teams at Rail Delivery Group in London.

References

External links

Official website
{{British railway railcard schemes British Rail fares and ticketing