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I want to get a railcard, but I am unsure whether to get a network railcard (which covers the South East England and London regions) or to get a 16-25 railcard. My confusion stems from the fact that they are both the same price and cover the same area, but I struggle to see the difference between the two cards, unless I've missed something. Please can someone clarify if it would be better to get a 16-25 railcard or a network railcard for someone under 25?

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    You can have as many railcards as you can buy/are eligible for. I have 3! It doesn't have to be a case of just getting 1 or then other.
    – skifans
    Dec 29, 2019 at 0:54

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They do not cover the same area. The Network Railcard only covers journeys entirely within London and the Southeast, whereas the 16-25 Railcard covers the whole of the UK. The benefit the Network Railcard has which the 16-25 Railcard lacks is that it also gives 1/3 off fares for up to 3 adults accompanying the holder, and 60% off fares for up to 4 children accompanying the holder.

On the other hand, the 16-25 Railcard also gives you a 1/3 discount when using a linked Oyster card for off peak travel, and applies to Advance and First Class fares, which the Network Railcard does not. In almost every case, the 16-25 Railcard will be a better choice for anyone who is eligible for it.

The 26-30 Railcard offers almost identical benefits to the 16-25 Railcard.

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  • Thanks for this answer. How about the 16-17 one if you're eligible?
    – Shimmy Weitzhandler
    Mar 8 at 20:59

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