Rail Staff Travel

Use this information if you joined rail employment on or after 1 April 1996.

National rail staff travel facilities are delivered to TOC employees by Rail Staff Travel Limited (RSTL), part of the Rail Delivery Group.

Your TOC may provide you with TOC-specific and/or owning group specific rail staff travel facilities. Your employer will provide details of these.

This is a guide to the National and International rail staff travel facilities granted to TOC employees who joined rail employment on or after 1 April 1996 and their eligible dependents.

The eligibility for facilities is defined in the TOC Privilege Travel Arrangement.

This guide gives you an overview of the benefits you might enjoy. It is not a legally binding document.

The TOC Privilege Travel Arrangement is a non-contractual arrangement reviewed annually by TOCs and which may be withdrawn at any time.

Use of travel facilities is subject at all times to the:

• Rail Staff Travel Conditions of Issue and Use
• National Rail Conditions of Travel
• Travel Restrictions (updated a minimum of twice a year)

You can get further information by contacting Rail Staff Travel.

Operators within the Rail Staff Leisure Card scheme

A list of operators on which facilities can be used is available on the Operators within the National Rail staff travel scheme page.

Leisure Travel with the Rail Staff Leisure Card

Please see the separate page for Leisure Travel. There are also separate pages for the following topics:

• Staff Travel Restrictions 
• Upgrades to First Class 
• Seat and Sleeper bookings 
• Assisted Travel.
• Travel in London.

Residential Travel (Commuting) - staff discounted season tickets

Please see the separate page for Residential Travel.

Duty Travel 

Duty Travel is travelling as required by your employment or employer during the working day. This includes attending training events and meetings. For clarity only employees are eligible for duty travel.

The use of staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for Duty Travel is prohibited for both employees, partners and child dependents.

Train delays and service disruption

When employees using their national leisure or residential travel concessions are subject to train delays and service disruptions, they should be dealt with no less favourably than the public insofar as the provision of alternative transport, overnight accommodation or compensation (based on actual fare paid if appropriate) is concerned.

Employees should apply for ‘Delay/Repay’ on the website of the TOC they were travelling on.

Travel Irregularities

Employees are responsible for the proper use of all rail staff travel facilities that are issued to themselves and their families. Please see the page for information on Travel Irregularities. 

Complaints

Please see Complaints.

Replacement of Lost, damaged, faulty or stolen Rail Staff Leisure Cards or Passes

To request any replacement card or pass, please submit either:

• Replacement of Lost or Damaged Cards (XX35)
• Replacement of Faulty or Stolen Cards (XX34)

Moving from one TOC to another TOC

If you move between Train Operating Companies and retain continuous service (i.e. you start with the new TOC within one month of leaving the previous TOC) you may retain your National and International travel passes, but you must return any TOC and group specific passes to the TOC you are leaving.

If between working for one TOC and another TOC you work for another employer, or you leave a TOC and are not joining another TOC, you must return your Rail Staff Leisure Cards and FIP cards (and those of your family members) direct to RST. You must cut each one into four, take a photo and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Employees failing to do this and then joining another TOC, RST will not issue any new cards/passes until these expire or are returned.

Reciprocal travel arrangements for holders of the Rail Staff Leisure Card

Information is provided on other carriers on separate pages.

• London Tramlink
• Heritage and Leisure Railways
• Hovertravel
• Irish Ferries
• Red Funnel Ferries
• Stena Line
• Windermere Lake Cruises
• Luton Dart

Use this information if you started work for Network Rail after 31 March 1996.

This is a guide to the National Rail Staff Travel facilities for those people who hold the RST Online Leisure Card.

Use of travel facilities is subject at all times to the:

• Rail Staff Travel Conditions of Issue and Use
• National Rail Conditions of Travel
• Travel Restrictions (updated a minimum of twice a year)

The scheme is for leisure travel on some carriers in Britain only. It is not valid for travel on the following:

• Caledonian Sleeper, Hull Trains, Grand Central, London Overground, or Docklands Light Railway.
• London Underground (except when crossing London between London Terminal stations using a ticket containing the Cross-London marker)
• Elizabeth Line (except when crossing London between Liverpool Street and Paddington on a ticket containing the Cross-London marker)
• Eurostar or any carrier in Europe which is part of the FIP scheme

Residential travel (i.e. using staff travel benefits for commuting to and from work) is not included. (Network Rail offer an internal scheme to assist with the cost of purchasing a season ticket. Please contact your HR team for more information This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

For information on the joining the leisure travel scheme and any taxable benefit which may accrue, please email Network Rail Reward and Benefits team at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Network Rail employees who are not yet registered for the leisure travel scheme should begin the registration process by completing the online Network Rail form which can be accessed only by Network Rail employees and is on the Benefits My Connect page. Any queries please contact your local Network Rail HR team.

Joining Network Rail

When you start employment or opt into the scheme, Network Rail will notify Rail Staff Travel and provide us with your details if you have opted to receive an RST Online Leisure Card.

Once we have created your Rail Staff Travel record, you must upload a passport-style photo before we can issue your RST Online Leisure Card. 

Once we have your information and photo, we will send your RST Online Leisure Card to your home address.

You will also receive an email with your one-time pass-code so you can register for RST Online. 

You can only buy tickets via RST Online once you have received your physical card in the post as you need to have this with you when you travel.

Opting out of the scheme

You should only apply for an RST Online Leisure Card if you intend to use it for the duration of its validity. 

If you do need to opt out due to personal circumstances then you can do this. However you will need to return all cards issued before charges cease.

Additionally, you will not be able to opt in again for twelve months.

To opt out you need to:

• email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. stating that you want to opt out. and
• Return all cards issued to RST. Cut each card into four, with the card number visible, and email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Resignation, retirement, redundancy or dismissal

Your eligibility for rail staff travel facilities ceases when you leave employment with Network Rail, irrespective of the reason for leaving.

All RST Online Leisure Cards for you and all family members must be returned to Rail Staff Travel when you leave. Cut each card into four, with the card number visible, and email these to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you fail to do this and then join another company that offers rail staff travel, RST will not issue any new cards/passes until the RST Online Leisure cards expire or are returned.

Your access to your RST Online account will also be removed.

Reciprocal travel arrangements for holders of the RST Online Leisure Card

Information is provided on other carriers on separate pages.

• Heritage and Leisure Railways.
• Hovertravel.
• Red Funnel Ferries
• Luton Dart

Use this information if you joined rail employment on or before 31 March 1996.
This is a guide to the National and International rail staff travel facilities granted to Active and Retired Safeguarded Employees who joined the rail industry on or before 31 March 1996 and their eligible dependents (including Widows and Widowers), and whose eligibility to facilities is defined in the ATOC Staff Travel Scheme.

This guide will give you an overview of the benefits you might enjoy. It is not a legally binding document.

Use of travel facilities is subject at all times to the:

• Rail Staff Travel Conditions of Issue and Use 
• National Rail Conditions of Travel 
• Travel Restrictions (updated a minimum of twice a year) 

If you are still employed by an organisation sold-off by British Rail before it was privatised in March 1996, the details in this guide may not apply to you in every respect. If you retired from the service of earlier privatised railway organisations (e.g. NFC, Travellers Fare, British Transport Hotels, BREL) you may have slightly different benefits.

You can get further information by contacting Rail Staff Travel.

Operators within the scheme

A list of operators on which facilities can be used is available on the Operators within the National Rail staff travel scheme page.

Active & Retired Staff and Dependents, Leisure Travel

Please see the separate page for Leisure Travel. There are specific pages for other topics:

• Child flat fares 
• Assisted Travel.
• Travel in London
• Staff Travel Restrictions 
• Upgrades to First Class 
• Seat and Sleeper bookings

Active Staff, Residential Travel (Commuting)

Please see the separate page for Residential Travel.

Other additional facilities for more senior Active and Retired Employees

Please see the separate page for Status Passes.

Duty Travel

Duty Travel is travelling as required by your employment or employer during the working day. This includes attending training events and meetings. For clarity only employees are eligible for duty travel.

The use of Status Passes, Staff Travel Card Boxes and Priv tickets for Duty Travel is not permitted for either employees, partners or child dependents.

Train delays and service disruption

When employees using their national leisure or residential travel concessions are subject to train delays and service disruptions, they should be dealt with no less favourably than the public insofar as the provision of alternative transport, overnight accommodation or compensation (based on actual fare paid if appropriate) is concerned.

Employees should apply for ‘Delay/Repay’ on the website of the TOC they were travelling on.

Travel Irregularities

Employees are responsible for the proper use of all rail staff travel facilities that are issued to themselves and their families. Please see the page for information on Travel Irregularities. 

Complaints

Please see Complaints.

Loss & Replacement of lost, damaged, faulty or stolen Staff Travel Cards or Passes

To request a replacement card or pass, please submit either:

• Replacement of Lost or Damaged Cards (XX35)
• Replacement of Faulty or Stolen Cards (XX34)

Staff Travel Card holders moving between eligible employers 

For active employees, in some circumstances only, you can move between employers and retain rail staff travel benefits. Please be aware that just because a company works in the rail industry it does not mean that they can offer rail staff travel.

You should contact RST before you move to check if there will be any impact on your Rail Staff Travel facilities. Please note that when you start a new job, your eligibility to rail staff travel will be based on the grade and salary of the new job, so you may not be able to retain the same level of travel.

Please note that you can only have one set of national rail staff travel facilities.

Reciprocal travel arrangements for holders of the Staff Travel Card

Information is provided on other carriers on separate pages.

• London Tramlink
• Tyne and Wear Metro
• Heritage and Leisure Railways
• Caledonian MacBrayne
• Hovertravel
• Irish Ferries
• Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
• Red Funnel Ferries
• Stena Line
• Wightlink
• Windermere Lake Cruises
• Luton Dart

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Information on using Staff Travel Cards on NIR and CIE services is available on the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland pages.

America and Australia

For America and Australia please see the Non European Arrangements page.

Maps for the use of Staff Travel Cards and Status Passes

Staff Travel Card Map - London Area including London Underground inter-available routes

The maps for the use of Staff Travel Cards on London Underground inter-available routes is now on the Travel in London page.

Status Passes Maps

Please see the separate page for the maps for Status Passes.