Military Veterans Railcard coming 2020

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Announcing a new railcard to provide discounted rail travel to veterans and their families.

I am delighted to announce that we will make the Veteran Railcard available from 11th November this year (2020). This railcard will also allow a Veterans family to travel with them, potentially saving military families hundreds of pounds a year
Grant Shapps MP

Grant Shapps MP who has served as Secretary of State for Transport since 2019. A member of the Conservative Party, Grant has been the Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield since the 2005.

As former members of the finest Armed Forces in the world, our military Veterans have demonstrated values, skills, commitment and willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for others. They have always, and continue, to provide a rich contribution to society, and the overwhelming majority of our Veterans thrive. It is right that we as a nation/government, charities, business and the wider public – support and empower those who have served us in our Armed Forces. We have a long history of doing this in the UK, and it remains our duty to support those who step up to serve this country. But it also presents a wider opportunity to make a difference. Veterans, young and old, offer a wealth of experience, skills and knowledge that are vital for civil society.

Our military personnel are rightly valued throughout their service in HM armed forces. They make sacrifices and put themselves in danger to protect and serve our country. It is only right that we continue to show how much we value their efforts once they leave the armed forces too. In our manifesto we promised to introduce a railcard for veterans. I am delighted to announce that we will make it available from 11th November this year (2020). This railcard will extend discounted train travel to the more than 830,000 veterans not covered by existing discounts.
Grant Shapps MP Secretary of State for Transport

Ben Shephard (left) with 82 year old **Veteran** Frank Plugge (right), seen here at Kings Cross station in London

We expect our service personnel to live and work all over the country, moving wherever they are needed to serve our great country. This often leads to service families, and former service families, living far away from friends and family and the communities they grew up in. Therefore, I believe it is important that our veterans have access to this railcard, supporting their access to vital work prospects and retraining opportunities, and making it easier for former members of the armed forces to stay in touch with friends and relatives.
Grant Shapps MP Secretary of State for Transport

This railcard will also allow their family to travel with them, potentially saving military families hundreds of pounds a year. I am sure that you will agree with me that this is a welcome measure, alongside a much wider set of commitments which are being announced by the Minister for the Cabinet Office today in the government’s consultation response to last year’s consultation on the Strategy for our Veterans. (See link below to Government paper)

THE STRATEGY FOR OUR VETERANS

This new railcard is one of the first parts of this government’s commitment to make the UK the best place to be a veteran anywhere in the world. My department is pleased to be supporting this ambition through this new railcard.
Grant Shapps MP Secretary of State for Transport