Trainline issues huge warning to passengers that must be followed or risk £100 fine

TRAINLINE has issued a huge warning to passengers that must be followed or could risk being hit with £100 fine.

The digital platform, which allows customers to book travel online, is reminding users they can not use their Railcard on every train journey.

A railcard is a discount card for young and retired people which helps them shave around a third off their travel costs.

However, Trainline said some Railcards can only be used on fares that are above a certain price, at a certain time. 

While others have specific restrictions on the times you can travel. 

For example, if you’re travelling between 4:30am and 10am, some Railcards can only be used on fares that cost £12 or more.

If you do not adhere to these rules you could face a £100 fine for not complying with the ticket rules.

A Trainline spokesperson told The Sun it is changing how it presents information to make the rules more easy for customers to understand.

They said: “While we have always applied railcards correctly and presented the right fees to our customers, recent events highlighted a sense of confusion for passengers around rail industry terms and conditions.

“And so, we have changed how we present this information in the booking flow, as well as adding information to our website, to give customers clarity when buying their tickets”

Travel cards have been in the spotlight recently after it was reported that Northern Rail passengers could be entitled to compensation.

The travel giant said it was dropping cases of people accused of wrongly using a 16-25 railcard to get discounted travel at the wrong time of the day, The Telegraph reported.

It was said that Northen was breaking a rule whereby passengers with a railcard travelling on the wrong train must be offered the chance to pay back the difference “on the spot”.

Instead, the travel giant was accused of whacking travellers with a find on the spot

A Northern Rail spokesperson told the outlet: “We are withdrawing any live cases and will also look to review anyone who has been prosecuted previously on this specific issue”.

The Sun has contacted Northern Rail for a comment,

How to avoid a fine when using your Railcard

Railcards are available to a number of different age groups, including students, young professionals and the elderly.

You have to pay for the card with the price usually working out at around £30 for a year or £70 for three years.

A number of different companies issue Railcards, such as Trainline which is the official retailer of Railcards by National Rail.

Trainpal is another option but the price remains the same.

Using the discount can help you save around a third on your travel costs.

However, it is important to note that you could be fined if you travel during peak time or pay a certain amount for your ticket.

This is especially important when you buy Anytime tickets or other flexible tickets.

For example, if you travel on a train before 10am and have used your Railcard to buy your ticket, make sure you didn’t pay less than £12.

This is because the ticket won’t be valid before 10am – even though it’s an Anytime ticket.

To avoid fines make sure that if you end up travelling on an earlier train, make sure to double-check any restrictions. 

You can read about the restrictions surrounding Railcards by visiting, https://www.railcard.co.uk/help/railcard-terms-and-conditions//