UK first as Devon & Cornwall Railcard goes digital
The Devon & Cornwall Railcard has become the first regional railcard in the UK to go digital.
Residents in Devon and Cornwall, aged 16 or over, can now purchase the railcard, download it to their phone and use it to save up to a 1/3 on standard class rail fares.
It’s all about making the journey experience smoother for Great Western Railway customers and is thanks to funding from the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership (DCRP), the Community Rail Partnership for the two counties.
Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment & Transport, Cllr Andrea Davis, said:
“To be able to travel at such low cost across Devon and Cornwall, accessing our beautiful towns, cities and coastal areas while enjoying the wonderful landscapes as we sit back and relax is something we want to share more widely with our residents. Now it's available digitally, it makes it so much more convenient.
“Whether it is attending football matches, visiting friends, joining meetings, taking my dog out and even just going out on a train for the pleasure of it, my Devon and Cornwall Railcard is invaluable and pays for itself many times over. Even better is two people can travel on one card, so take a friend along.”
GWR Director of Sales and Marketing, Amanda Burns, said:
“We’re so grateful to the Devon and Cornwall Rail Partnership for supporting the digitalisation of this regional railcard. It really does offer some great savings to those people living in the two counties who travel on GWR services.
“Mobile ticketing has transformed the way people travel and we hope the move to digital will encourage more customers to purchase this regional railcard and explore some of the fantastic destinations Devon and Cornwall has to offer.”
DCRP manager, Richard Burningham, said:
“We have long wanted to make the Devon & Cornwall Railcard much easier to buy and this step forward does just that. Our thanks to GWR for identifying the opportunity and making it happen and to our partners for agreeing that we could provide the necessary funding.
“Now we want to see a big increase in the number of local people who hold a Devon & Cornwall Railcard. We will be working hard with GWR and others to bang the drum about the great savings local people can get with a Devon & Cornwall Railcard and how easy it now is to buy.”
It will still be possible to buy the Devon & Cornwall Railcard from staffed stations in the two counties.
To buy your digital Devon and Cornwall Railcard, or for more information visit GWR.com/DCRailcard
Contact Information
Notes to editors
Picture shows:GWR Regional Growth Manager David Whiteway; Devon County Council's Andrea Davis; and DCRP's Richard Burningham.
The Devon and Cornwall Railcard costs £12 a year for residents in Devon and Cornwall aged 16 and over.
Which tickets do I receive discounts on?
• 1/3 off all Standard class Anytime or Off-Peak tickets for journeys not starting before 0845, wholly within Devon and Cornwall*
• 1/3 off Devon & Cornwall Rover
• 1/2 off St Ives Bay Line Day Ranger
• 1/3 off one accompanying adult ticket
• Up to 4 accompanying children, aged 5-15 on the day of travel, can travel for a flat fare of £1 each, or £2 each per day with a Rover ticket, or Day Ranger
Discounts are not available on:
• Season tickets
• Advance tickets
• First Class tickets. You may upgrade a discounted standard ticket at the weekend, or Bank Holiday by paying the usual charge
• Tickets bought in conjunction with any other special promotion, unless advertised
• Special excursion trains
• Bus services in Devon and Cornwall
• Ride Cornwall (Combined bus and rail ticket)
• Journeys extending beyond Tiverton Parkway or Axminster
* It is also valid on the following trains:
- On all services on the St Ives branch line
- On all services between Exeter and Barnstaple, on a train going to Barnstaple
- On all services between Exeter and Okehampton, on a train going to Okehampton
- 0824 Plymouth to Gunnislake (any journey on this train)
- 0829 from Newton Abbot towards Penzance
- 0835 Barnstaple and 0843 Umberleigh towards Exeter
- 0838 from Newton Abbot towards Paignton
- 0843 from Liskeard towards Penzance
The Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership is a non-profit partnership between local authorities, the rail industry and the University of Plymouth which works to make the most of the two counties’ rail network for the benefit of all. It focuses particularly on the branch lines. Core members include Cornwall Council, Devon County Council, GWR and the University of Plymouth where it is based. More information about the Partnership can be found at www.dcrp.org.uk
First Greater Western Limited, trading as “Great Western Railway” (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London. GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR has been awarded a National Rail Contract to continue operating the Great Western network, which shall run up to 21 June 2025, with the potential for a further three years at the Secretary of State’s discretion. Find out more here: https://www.gwr.com/about-us