Railcard holders could find themselves paying a little more than previously as train operators prepare to trim railcard discounts later this month.
The PA news agency reported that fare reductions will be reduced from 34% to 33.4% from September 15.
With the updated saving, an Anytime Return fare for railcard holders from Cardiff to London will go from £194.15 to £195.90, and from £72.60 to £73.25 from Birmingham to Manchester, for example.
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Discounts are currently calculated as 34%, but train operators will take advantage of an easing of system limitations to apply a smaller reduction of 33.4%.
A section on railcard discounts on the National Rail Enquiries website was updated in June to remove references to 34%.
Most railcard advertising states that the cards provide savings of a third off usual fares, but some operators’ websites continue to give the 34% figure, including East Midlands Railway and Heathrow Express.
Railcards which will be affected include those held by passenger groups such as people aged 16-30 or 60 and over, families travelling with children, people with a disability and military veterans.
Bruce Williamson, of lobby group Railfuture, said: “Whilst this represents a very tiny increase in fares for some passengers, it’s a step in the wrong direction.
“As the slogan goes, every little helps, so why risk irritating passengers for a few pence?”
Michael Solomon Williams, of pressure group Campaign for Better Transport, called for the introduction of a northern network railcard to make the system “fairer” by giving passengers in the north of England “the same discount offered to many of their southern counterparts by regional railcards”.
A spokesperson for Railcard, the organisation which manages the discount cards on behalf of train operators, said: “The cost of a Railcard hasn’t increased for over 10 years and will continue to provide customers with a third off their rail fare for just £30 a year – a cost that can be made back in just one or two journeys.”
The rail industry is striving to boost fares income, which remains lower than pre-coronavirus levels.
Office of Rail and Road figures show revenue from passengers was £10.3 billion in the year to the end of March, compared with £12.7 billion in 2019-20.
