Rail Staff Travel

What national rail staff travel facilities are provided to an employee?

The Rail Staff Leisure Card provides a discount of 75% off Anytime and Off-Peak, and some Rover and Ranger tickets. The discount is known as priv (privilege) rate. Priv-rate tickets can only be used for leisure travel. They cannot be used for residential travel (i.e. commuting), or duty or business travel. For residential travel (i.e. commuting) between home and your work location, you can apply to RSTL for authority to purchase a reduced rate season ticket.If your TOC issues you with a roster which requires you to travel on other TOC services for duty, your employer can request RSTL to provide you with a Duty Authority to Travel pass.

What facilities are provided to family members of an employee?

The Rail Staff Leisure card can be used to purchase priv-rate tickets for leisure travel. Priv-rate tickets cannot be used for residential travel (i.e. commuting), or duty or business travel. Partners/spouses and dependant children can apply for a reduced rate season ticket as above if they are travelling to a place of full-time education (school, college or university). They are not eligible for any reduced rate season tickets for commuting to their own employment. If you have a partner but you do not live at the same address, then your partner is not eligible for any FIP International Travel benefits.

How do employees get their facilities?

You will be eligible for your rail staff travel benefits after 1 months' service. Your TOC will notify RSTL that you have joined them as an employee. RSTL will create your rail staff travel record. You must upload a passport-style photograph of yourself using our Photo Upload form. Your Rail Staff Leisure Card will be issued and posted to your home address. It is valid for a maximum of 12 months and will be automatically renewed, providing you are still an employee.

How do family members get their facilities?

Once your rail staff travel record is created, you can apply to RSTL to add your family members to your record. The eligible family members are one spouse or partner, plus any dependent children of either of you. For a spouse or civil partner, you must supply a copy of a marriage or civil partnership certificate. For other partnerships:

• If you live together, you need evidence that you live at the same address and make a Statutory Declaration
• If you do not live together you need to make a Statutory Declaration

Statutory Declarations must be made in front of a Solicitor, Commissioner of Oaths, Justice of the Peace or a Notary Public to confirm that you are in a meaningful relationship.

You upload a passport-style photograph of each family member along with each application. Once family members are added to your record and we have accepted the photographs of them, RSTL will send you their Rail Staff Leisure cards. The lead time for this is typically 3-4 weeks from application but may be longer at busy times. As the employee it is your decision whether or not to add family members to your staff travel record. Employees are responsible for:

• ensuring all family members are aware of the Conditions of Issue and Use, Staff Travel Restrictions, and understand the consequences of misuse.
• informing RSTL immediately when a family member is no longer eligible, through divorce or separation, or where dependant children are no longer classified as dependent (i.e. when they obtain employment, or enter into a relationship, or leave home).
• returning any passes no longer required to RSTL

How do I buy discounted tickets?

Once we post your Rail Staff Leisure Card to you, we will e-mail you details of RST Online, our booking system, and your registration details. You will be able to purchase tickets and have them delivered by e-mail, or with a booking reference to collect at station. You can also purchase tickets for leisure journeys, by taking your Rail Staff Leisure Card to any National Rail station ticket office.

If you start your journey at a station with an open ticket office, you must purchase a ticket before you board the train. If you start your journey at station with no open ticket office, you can buy a priv-rate ticket on board (unless there is a penalty fare area in operation and the ticket vending machine has a promise to pay or permit to travel option. In this case, you must obtain a promise to pay or permit to travel before boarding the train).

To purchase a reduced rate season ticket for commuting you need to obtain an authorisation form from RSTL. National Rail station ticket offices will sell you your reduced rate season ticket on submission of the authorisation form.

Where can I go with my national rail staff travel facilities?

It is valid on all National Rail Train Operating Company services, including open access operators Grand Central, Heathrow Express, Hull Trains and Lumo. You cannot use tickets on London Underground or Docklands Light Railway unless you have a priv-rate ticket which includes the Cross-London indicator (†) which allows you to transfer between London Terminal stations. Other carriers accept the Rail Staff Leisure Card, including London Tramlink and many Leisure and Heritage Railways. Details are in the Where Can I Go guide for Non-Safeguarded Staff.

What about travel facilities on European railways and shipping companies?

This is covered by a separate introductory guide on the RSTL website.

Misuse of rail staff travel facilities

Misuse of rail staff travel facilities is a serious disciplinary office.

• Your TOC HR department will follow its disciplinary processes in relation to your continued employment.
• The TOC which detects the offence will follow its Revenue Protection process in relation to loss of revenue.
• RSTL will review your eligibility to retain your rail staff travel facilities under their Travel Irregularity process. If you lose your eligibility for staff travel facilities, so will all your family members.
• Where a spouse, partner or dependant child misuses their facilities, RSTL will review the eligibility of the spouse, partner or dependant to retain their rail staff travel facilities under the Travel Irregularity process.

This is a guide to the National and International rail staff travel facilities granted to 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 from Rail Staff Travel by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The purpose of your journey determines the type of rail staff travel facility you can use.

Leisure Travel

This is classified as travelling for social/pleasure reasons (as long as it does not fall within the Residential Travel or Duty Travel categories or involve trading or other remunerative activity). If you are travelling to a place of work but going to the gym, shopping or socialising  before or after the journey is classed as a residential journey and cannot be considered as leisure travel.

The use of staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for leisure travel is permitted for both employees, partners and child dependents.

The concession available is Staff discount (priv rate) (75% discount) on full fare (Anytime) and Off Peak tickets and 70min Flex fares on selected LNER services. Also a discounted rate on many Rovers and Rangers

Residential Travel (i.e. commuting)

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.

Products

The Rail Staff Travel products available are:

Rail Staff Leisure Card

Leisure travel is delivered via the Rail Staff Leisure Card. You can use it to purchase unlimited staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for leisure travel. It cannot be used for free travel or to buy staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for travelling to work.

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets can only be used by the Rail Staff Leisure Card holder and are not transferrable to any other person.

Help for those who have difficulty travelling alone

Please see the separate page for Assisted Travel.

Staff discounted (priv rate) Season Ticket

Please see the separate page for Residential Travel.

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 finish with your TOC on one day and start with the new TOC within one month) 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 direct to RST. You need to 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.

You need to do this for family members as well. If employees fail to do this and then join another TOC, RST will not issue any new cards/passes until these expire or are returned.

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.

Leisure Travel

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets

Leisure travel is delivered to holders of a Rail Staff Leisure Card.

You can use it to purchase unlimited staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for leisure travel only, subject to the Restrictions on Travel as documented above in section 2.

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets can only be used by the Rail Staff Leisure Card holder and are not transferrable to any other person.

The Rail Staff Leisure Card is valid until the date printed on the card.

Children aged under 5 travel free. Card holders aged 5 to 15 inclusive can travel with child tickets. Card holders aged 16 and above require adult tickets.

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets are not valid on TfL Underground and DLR services in London except when the ticket shows the Cross-London Indicator, in which case it may be used on the Underground to cross London between the relevant London Terminal stations only.

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets purchased with a Rail Staff Leisure Card must not be used for business, trading, duty or residential (commuting to work or travel to educational establishments).

The agreement underwriting this non-contractual arrangement for Non-Safeguarded Leisure Travel is reviewed annually by TOCs and may be withdrawn at any time.

Staff Travel Restrictions and complimentary refreshments

The use of staff discounted (priv rate) tickets and staff discounted (priv rate) Season Tickets is subject to Staff Travel Restrictions on rail services. These are updated at least twice per year.

Class of Travel

For upgrades, please see the Upgrades to First Class page.

Seat Reservations

For reservations, please see the Seat and Sleeper bookings page.

How to buy a staff discounted (priv rate) ticket, and what to do if this is not possible

You can purchase tickets online your RST Online account. If you do not yet have details on how to do this contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Where the station has a staffed ticket office, you must purchase a valid ticket before you start a journey, irrespective of the length of queue or wait time.

If you are travelling from a station within a Penalty Fare area, then you must obtain a permit to travel at the public rate in accordance with the Penalty Fare instructions displayed at the station.

If you board a train from a station with an open ticket office and have no ticket, or from a station in a Penalty Fare area and you haven’t obtained a ‘promise to pay’ ticket, the train operator is within their right to refuse to sell you a Priv-rate ticket and report it as a Travel Irregularity.

Only if the ticket office is closed, and there is no local ‘promise to pay’ in use, can you buy a Priv-rate ticket on board a train. You must actively seek out staff on-board the train, have your fare ready and offer to pay it at the first available opportunity. By offering to pay there can be no question that you are trying to travel without paying.

If you don’t actively offer to pay, then you may be accused of fare avoidance, and risk committing a Travel Irregularity. (See the separate section on Travel Irregularities for the consequences).

Residential Travel (Commuting)

Please see the separate page for Residential Travel.

Sleeper Services

Employees, spouse/partners and child dependents are eligible for staff travel on Caledonian Sleeper and Great Western Railway Sleeper.

For reservations, please see the Seat and Sleeper bookings page.

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.

Reciprocal travel arrangements

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

Free staff travel facilities (Status passes and Staff Travel Card dated boxes) are not valid on Luton DART.

Privilege rate tickets may be purchased either through RST Online or a National Rail station ticket office to Luton Airport which includes transfer between Luton Airport Parkway and Luton Airport on Luton DART.

Privilege rate tickets may also be purchased either through RST Online or a National Rail station ticket office just between Luton Airport Parkway and Luton Airport. 

There is no eligibility for free or reduced rate travel on TfLs’ London Underground, Dockland Light Railway, bus and river services.

National Rail Services in the Oyster area

You can use your Rail Staff Leisure Card to travel at staff discounted (priv rate) either by purchasing a paper ticket or using an Oyster card.  This is for leisure journeys only and cannot be used for residential travel. This applies to eligible family members who hold a Rail Staff Leisure Card.

If you want to travel using staff discounted (priv rate) on an Oyster card, take your Rail Staff Leisure Card to one of the Elizabeth Line stations listed below within the times stated and ask an Elizabeth Line member of staff for help. Your Oyster card must be registered before staff can set the discount.

London Overground and the Elizabeth Line are part of the national rail network so priv rate tickets are valid on all of their services.

On services operated by Tramlink which is owned by TfL, showing a Rail Staff Leisure Card allows free leisure travel.

There is no concessionary travel within London on other TfL services (i.e. London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, London Buses, London River Services etc.).

However, staff discounted (priv rate) tickets purchased with a Rail Staff Leisure Card may used on TfL services for National Rail Cross London journeys between London Terminals stations where the relevant Cross London indication is shown on the National Rail travel ticket.

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 Caledonian Sleeper, Hull Trains, Grand Central, London Overground, or Docklands Light Railway.
• It is not valid for travel on London Underground (except when crossing London between London Terminal stations using a ticket containing the Cross-London marker)
• It is not valid for travel on the Elizabeth Line (except when crossing London between Liverpool Street and Paddington on a ticket containing the Cross-London marker)
• 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..)
• Free and discounted travel on Eurostar and other European carriers through the FIP scheme is also not included.

For information on the joining the 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.

For further information please contact Rail Staff Travel at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The RST Online Leisure Card can only be used to purchase tickets for leisure travel.

This is classified as travelling for social/pleasure reasons. This means that it cannot be used to purchase tickets for travelling to work, school or college, etc and also cannot be used to purchase tickets to travel between work locations during the working day. If you are travelling to a place of work but going to the gym, shopping or socialising  before or after the journey is classed as a residential journey and cannot be considered as leisure travel.

It also cannot be used to purchase tickets for any other trading or other remunerative activity.

The use of staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for leisure travel is permitted for employees, spouse/partners and child dependants.

Products

Leisure travel is delivered via the RST Online Leisure Card. The card must be kept as issued and not laminated or altered in anyway. Images of the card shown on mobile devices are also not valid for use.

Holders of an RST Online Leisure card  can use it to purchase unlimited staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for leisure travel on all rail services in Great Britain except:

• Caledonian Sleeper
• Elizabeth Line
• Grand Central
• Hull Trains
• London Overground

All tickets must be purchased via RST Online only. Although RST Online will display fares for the above operators (as you may want to purchase full fare tickets for them) if you purchase priv-rate fares and travel on those operators that is deemed a travel irregularity.

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets cannot be purchased from station ticket offices or on-board trains by holders of the RST Online Leisure Card.

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets can only be used by the RST Online Leisure Card holder and cannot be given to anyone else to use for travel (except where the card is endorsed for travel with a companion) – they are not transferrable to any other person.

You must have the RST Online Leisure Card with you and available for inspection when travelling using staff-discounted (priv rate) tickets. If you cannot present the RST Online Leisure Card with any staff-discounted (priv rate) tickets, then the Train Operating Company will follow their revenue protection procedures and treat you as a passenger without a valid ticket.

If you travel without your RST Online Leisure Card and have to purchase public rate tickets, or pay a penalty fare, you cannot get this refunded.

Help for those who have difficulty travelling alone

Please see the separate page for Assisted Travel.

Replacement of lost, damaged, stolen or faulty RST Online Leisure Cards

To request a replacement card or pass, please submit one of these forms:

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

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.

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.

Leisure travel is delivered to holders of an RST Online Leisure Card.

It is not valid for travel on the Caledonian Sleeper, Hull Trains, Grand Central, London Overground, London Underground or Docklands Light Railway.

It is not valid for travel on the Elizabeth Line (except when crossing London between Liverpool Street and Paddington on a ticket containing the Cross-London marker)

You can use it to purchase unlimited staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for leisure travel only, subject to the Restrictions on Travel as documented above in section 2.

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets can only be used by the RST Online Leisure Card holder and are not transferrable to any other person.

Children aged under 5 travel free. Card holders aged 5 to 15 inclusive can travel with child tickets. Card holders aged 16 and above require adult tickets.

Staff discounted (priv-rate) tickets

Staff discounted (priv-rate) tickets are not valid on TfL Underground and DLR services in London except when the ticket shows the Cross-London Indicator (†), in which case it may be used on London Underground to cross London between the relevant London Terminal stations only.

Buying staff discounted (priv rate) tickets with the RST Online Leisure Card

The RST Online Leisure Card can only be used to buy tickets online through RST Online at www.railstafftravel.com

You can only access the service once you have been issued with a one-time passcode by Rail Staff Travel which will enable you to register and create your on-line account.

Rail Staff Travel will send your one-time passcode by e-mail once you have been issued with your RST Online Leisure Card. This is because you must have your RST Online Leisure card with you when you travel.

You can request family members have access to RST Online by submitting the RST Online – Request Access for Family Members (XX40) form which is here www.raildeliverygroup.com/rst/forms.html#rstonline

RST Online offers journey planning facilities to enable you to find staff discounted and public fares, buy tickets and make seat reservations. You can collect the tickets bought through RST Online at a Ticket Vending Machine at a station, or you can have e-tickets sent to your registered e-mail address.

Although you can purchase tickets for all carriers, please remember that it is not valid for travel on the Caledonian Sleeper, Hull Trains, Grand Central, London Overground, London Underground or Docklands Light Railway.

It is also not valid for travel on the Elizabeth Line (except when crossing London between Liverpool Street and Paddington on a ticket containing the Cross-London marker)

Therefore, you must not purchase staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for services on which staff discounted (priv rate) tickets bought with the RST Online Leisure Card are not valid.

You can purchase a Rover or Ranger with a start date of between 7 and 14 days from the date of purchase. Rovers and Rangers are printed and posted to you by 1st class post. There is no other fulfilment option available.

Staff Travel Restrictions

The use of staff discounted (priv rate) tickets is subject to Staff Travel Restrictions on rail services. These are updated at least twice per year.

Class of Travel

For upgrades, please see the Upgrades to First Class page.

Seat Reservations

Please see the separate page for Seat and Sleeper reservations.

Unavailability of tickets

In the event of a prolonged system outage of RST Online or any Rail Industry system which prevents all staff discounted (priv rate) online ticket purchase, Rail Staff Travel will arrange messaging for ticket office and on board staff to accept the RST Online Leisure Card on a temporary basis until the service is restored.

Rail Staff Travel is not liable for the unavailability of specific fares within RST Online.

There are no other circumstances under which you may purchase staff discounted (priv rate) tickets at stations or on-board trains. Rail Staff Travel, the Train Operating Companies and other retailers are not liable if you are unable to purchase staff discounted (priv rate) tickets through RST Online and you choose to purchase full price tickets from other sources.

Where operational staff believe a ticket has been purchased from a station or on a train when RST Online was working, they will report this to RST for further investigation.

Sleeper Services

Caledonian Sleeper

The RST Online Leisure Card is not valid for any travel on Caledonian Sleeper services.

Great Western Railway sleepers

Great Western operate the Night Riviera sleeper between London Paddington and Penzance. Please see the separate page for Seat and Sleeper reservations.

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.

Reciprocal travel arrangements

Information is provided on other carriers on separate pages.

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

Luton Airport Dart

Staff discounted (priv-rate) tickets may be purchased to Luton Airport. These include travel on Luton DART from Luton Airport Parkway to Luton Airport.

Privilege rate tickets may also be purchased just between Luton Airport Parkway and Luton Airport. 

The RST Online Leisure Card is not valid for staff discounted (priv-rate) travel on London Overground, Elizabeth Line, London Underground, Dockland Light Railway, bus and river services.

The only exception to this is except where the ticket shows the Cross-London Indicator (†), in which case it may be used on London Underground services only to cross London between the relevant London Terminal stations only and the Elizabeth Line between Liverpool Street and Paddington only.

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 from Rail Staff Travel by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The purpose of your journey determines which type of rail staff travel facility you can use.

However, there are some services on which Staff Travel facilities are not valid. See the section on Staff Travel Restrictions later in this document.

Leisure Travel

This is classified as travelling for social/pleasure reasons (as long as it does not fall within the Residential Travel or Duty Travel categories or involves trading or other remunerative activity). If you are travelling to a place of work but going to the gym, shopping or socialising  before or after the journey is classed as a residential journey and cannot be considered as leisure travel.

The use of Status Passes, Staff Travel Card Boxes and staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for Leisure Travel is permitted.

The concession available is a Staff Travel card that may include some free journeys. Staff discounted (priv rate) is a 75% discount on Anytime and Off Peak tickets. Staff discounted (priv rate) on many Rovers and Rangers.

Residential Travel (i.e. commuting)

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

Products

The Rail Staff Travel products available to safeguarded staff are:

Staff Travel Card

Leisure travel is delivered via the Staff Travel Card. You can use it to purchase unlimited staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for leisure travel.

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets can only be used by the Staff Travel Card holder and are not transferrable to any other person.

If you have an allocation of free travel, this is delivered through the date boxes on the Staff Travel Card. You must date a box in permanent pen before you travel. Each dated box is valid for that day and the following day.

Photo ID for Staff Travel Card

• Photo ID is a mandatory requirement for all active employees, their partner and child dependents to support a Staff Travel Card. 
• A Photo ID is optional for retired employees, or any of their dependents.

The photograph of the card holder is printed on the Staff Travel Card. Where the photograph is optional (as above), the Staff Travel Card will contain a default image.

Help for those who have difficulty travelling alone

Please see the separate page for Assisted Travel.

Residential passes and staff discounted (priv rate) season tickets

Please see the separate page for Residential Travel.

Status Passes

Status passes are issued by Rail Staff Travel based on employment criteria and their issue must be requested by an employer.

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)

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.

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

Free Leisure Travel

The Staff Travel Card delivers both free and discounted leisure travel. Both the free and discounted leisure travel is subject to the Restrictions on Travel as documented in section 2.

If you are eligible for a certain number of free journeys, these are shown by a series of boxes on your Staff Travel Card. Any boxes that are crossed out when the card is issued cannot be used for free travel. Each dated box allows free travel on that day, and up to midnight on the following day. During this two day period, travel does not have to be continuous: any number of broken journeys may be undertaken. Travel is also permitted from 22h00 on the preceding day if making an overnight (i.e. sleeper) journey.

Before commencing a free journey, you must enter the day and month of the journey in permanent ink in the first (or next available) box (which is divided into two sections on the card marked as “DAY” and “MTH”).

Failure to use 2 digits in each box is a Travel Irregularity.

Alteration or overwriting of dates already inserted is not permitted – this includes writing a date in pencil then going over it with pen or erasing it and then re-entering it. This information is clearly printed on the card. Failure to comply will be treated as a Travel Irregularity.

Staff Travel Cards are valid for 15 months from 1 April to 30 June of the following year. New cards are sent out directly to home addresses towards the end of March each year. If you wish to use boxes from 1 April to 30 June, either the old or the new card can be used. Only the new card can be used from 1 July. On a card that is expiring on the 30 June you cannot date a box for 30 June and travel on 1 July.

Dated boxes for free travel on a Staff Travel Card must not be used for business, trading, duty or residential (commuting to work or travel to educational establishments).

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets

You can also purchase staff discounted (priv rate) tickets on production of the Staff Travel Card.

Unless your Staff Travel Card is endorsed with 11, Priv-rate travel facilities are available also on London Underground services.

Children aged under 5 travel free. Card holders aged 5 to 15 inclusive can travel with child tickets. Card holders aged 16 and above require adult tickets.

Staff discounted (priv rate) tickets purchased with a Staff Travel Card must not be used for business, trading, duty or residential (commuting to work or travel to educational establishments).

Child flat fare when travelling with retired employees aged 60 or over

Retired staff, spouses/partners of retired staff, widow(er)s of active or retired staff may purchase tickets for up to four children aged 5 to 15 who are travelling with them (Standard accommodation only) at the flat rate applicable. These tickets can be obtained at National Rail station ticket offices on presentation of a retired Staff Travel Card and proof of age of the employee or spouse/partner, or via your RST Online account. (The discount cannot be obtained on presentation of a Blue, Silver or Gold Status Pass).

When travelling with children on flat fare tickets, the employee or spouse/partner must have their retired Staff Travel Card and suitable proof of age (to confirm you are aged 60 or over) with them at all times.

The flat rate fare is published on the Useful Information page.

(The section on Sleeper services has more information on the applicability of this facility).

Staff Travel Restrictions and complimentary refreshments

The use of Status Passes, Staff Travel Cards, staff discounted (priv rate) tickets and staff discounted (priv rate) Season Tickets is subject to Staff Travel Restrictions on rail services. These are updated at least twice per year.

Class of Travel

For upgrades, please see the Upgrades to First Class page.

Seat Reservations

For reservations, please see the Seat and Sleeper bookings page.

How to buy a staff discounted (priv rate) ticket, and what to do if this is not possible

You can purchase tickets online through your RST Online account. If you need details on how to do this contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Where the station has a staffed ticket office, you must purchase a valid ticket before you start a journey, irrespective of the length of queue or wait time.

If you are travelling from a station within a Penalty Fare area, then you must obtain a permit to travel at the public rate in accordance with the Penalty Fare instructions displayed at the station.

If you board a train from a station with an open ticket office and have no ticket, or from a station in a Penalty Fare area and you haven’t obtained a ‘promise to pay’ ticket, the train operator is within their right to refuse to sell you a Priv-rate ticket and report it as a Travel Irregularity.

Only if the ticket office is closed, and there is no local ‘promise to pay’ in use, can you buy a Priv-rate ticket on board a train. You must actively seek out staff on-board the train, have your fare ready and offer to pay it at the first available opportunity. By offering to pay there can be no question that you are trying to travel without paying.

If you don’t actively offer to pay, then you may be accused of fare avoidance, and risk committing a Travel Irregularity. (See the separate section on Travel Irregularities for the consequences).

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.

Sleeper Services

Active and Retired Safeguarded Employees and their eligible spouse/partners and child dependents (including Widow/ers) are eligible for rail staff travel on Caledonian Sleeper and Great Western Railway Sleeper:

For reservations, please see the Seat and Sleeper bookings page.

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.

Travel facilities are granted to Active and Retired employees, spouse/partners and child dependents on other undertakings indicated below.

Unless otherwise stated, only reduced rate leisure travel is available.

The availability of some undertakings is subject to the endorsement on your Staff Travel Card.

Reciprocal travel arrangements

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

Free staff travel facilities (Status passes and Staff Travel Card dated boxes) are not valid on Luton DART.

Privilege rate tickets may be purchased either through RST Online or a National Rail station ticket office to Luton Airport which includes transfer between Luton Airport Parkway and Luton Airport on Luton DART.

Privilege rate tickets may also be purchased either through RST Online or a National Rail station ticket office just between Luton Airport Parkway and Luton Airport. 

Transport for London’s (TfL) Services

If your Staff Travel Card has a printed endorsement of 11 on the face of the card you are not eligible for any free or privilege rate travel on London Underground and Docklands Light Railway (LUL/DLR) services.

If your Staff Travel card does not have a printed endorsement of 11 on the face of the card, you can use your Staff Travel Card for priv rate travel on London Underground and DLR services. You can also use it with a dated box for free travel on the Inter-available routes as described below. This applies to eligible family members who hold a Staff Travel Card.

However, retired employees and partners and child dependents are not eligible for free or priv rate residential travel on London Underground or DLR services.

Widow(ers) receive the same benefits as the employee.

Using an Oyster card is cheaper than buying paper tickets, so TfL facilities are described in Oyster terms that are used and understood by TfL staff.

Break of journey is not allowed on London Underground journeys -. a broken journey counts as two separate ones.

London Overground and the Elizabeth Line are part of the national rail network so a dated Staf Travel Card can be used for free travel.

On London Underground and DLR Inter-available routes only

On all London Underground and DLR services

LUL and DLR Inter-available routes

The “inter-available routes” (i.e. those where both National Rail and TfL trains used to operate) are between the following points and at intermediate stations unless otherwise stated:

Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and District & Circle Lines:

• Moorgate to Kings Cross;
• Baker Street to Watford, Chesham or Amersham, but not for alighting/boarding between Baker Street and Harrow-on-the-Hill; (Gold Status Passes additionally valid from Euston Square)
• Paddington to Notting Hill Gate - Circle Line, for through journeys between Paddington and East Acton or westwards but not for alighting/boarding in between or at Notting Hill Gate;
• Paddington (Suburban) to Hammersmith (H&C);
• Tower Hill to Upminster (except at Aldgate East);
• Putney Bridge to Wimbledon;
• Turnham Green to Richmond;
• Earl’s Court to Kensington (Olympia)

Northern Line:

• Moorgate to Mill Hill East or High Barnet via Archway, but not for alighting/boarding between Kings Cross and Highgate, except at Kentish Town

Central Line:

• Liverpool Street to Epping or Hainault, via Woodford or Newbury Park.
• Ealing Broadway or West Ruislip to White City and in the case of through journeys between East Acton or westwards and Paddington; also between White City and Notting Hill Gate, but not for alighting/boarding between White City and Notting Hill Gate or at Notting Hill Gate

Bakerloo Line:

• Paddington to Harrow & Wealdstone

Jubilee Line:

• Stratford to Canning Town

Piccadilly Line:

• Finsbury Park to Kings Cross but not for alighting/boarding in between

Victoria Line:

• Finsbury Park or Highbury & Islington to Kings Cross

Waterloo and City:

• Waterloo to Bank

Docklands Light Railway:

• Tower Gateway to Limehouse

Residential Pass London Underground limitations

Residential Passes (made out with appropriate availability) for active staff only are also valid on the above lines with the exception of:

Hammersmith & City Line:

• Valid only between Paddington (Suburban) and Westbourne Park and not valid at Royal Oak.

District Line

• Valid between Tower Hill and Upminster but not for alighting/boarding between Tower Hill and Bow Road, except at Aldgate East when shown on the pass.

Northern Line

• Not valid between Moorgate and Kings Cross or at Kentish Town

Central Line

• Not valid at Bethnal Green or Mile End or between Ealing Broadway and North Acton

How to use your facilities in London

The reciprocal exchange of travel facilities with Transport for London (TfL) allows holders of Staff Travel Cards to purchase tickets for leisure travel on London Underground (LUL) and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services at priv rate.

The easiest and cheapest way to travel in London is to have the appropriate Priv All Rail discount set on a registered Oyster card. The applicable priv rate Oyster fare for the London Underground, DLR or National Rail services where Oyster pay as you go is accepted, will be deducted as you travel. If you do not touch in and out at either end of your journey the maximum Oyster fare will be taken and you may be liable for a penalty fare or prosecution.

Your Oyster Card with the Priv All Rail discount may be used on TfL bus services. However, the bus journey will be at the public adult fare.

To get the Priv All Rail discount set on an Oyster card, submit TfL Privilege Oyster Application Form (XX19). Once authorised by RST, take it together with your Staff Travel Card and registered Oyster card to a London Underground station, where a member of staff in the booking hall will set the priv rate discount on your Oyster card. If your Oyster card isn’t registered you can do this by creating a TfL online account at oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster. With this account, you can see your journey history, correct a maximum fare and top up your pay as you go credit online.

The Priv All Rail discount expiry date will match that on your Staff Travel Card. When you get a new Staff Travel Card, take it to a London Underground station and get the Priv All Rail discount updated on your Oyster card. You do not need to contact Rail Staff Travel each year, unless you do not get the discount set before the expiry date of the Staff Travel Card.

If you don’t update your Priv discount and it expires you will be charged the full pay as you go fare instead of a staff discounted (priv rate) fare.

You can still buy single staff discounted (priv rate) rate tickets for travel on London Underground services at National Rail stations, although these fares will be more expensive than Oyster pay as you go fares. If you’re buying a ticket for travel between two stations across Zone 1, for example, you should ask for a London Terminals to Zone U12* London ticket.

You cannot buy paper tickets for travel on the DLR.

London Underground staff discounted (priv rate) Season Tickets

London Underground only issue staff discounted (priv rate) Season Tickets on Oyster. Before you can buy a Privilege rate season ticket, you will need to get the ‘Priv All Rail’ discount set on your registered Oyster card. If your Oyster card isn’t registered you can do this by creating a TfL online account at oyster.tfl.gov.uk/oyster.

Applications for Privilege Season Tickets should be made by completing Employee Residential Travel form (XX01) or Dependent Season Ticket Form (XX31) www.raildeliverygroup.com/rst.

Once approved, RST will send you the authorised Privilege Season Ticket form. You will then be able to buy your zonal Privilege Season Ticket from ticket machines at London Underground stations. These cannot be bought via RST online.

To buy a staff discounted (priv rate) Season ticket, the expiry date of the All Rail discount must be after the expiry date of your Privilege Season ticket.

If the staff discounted (priv rate) Season ticket expires after the ‘Priv All Rail’ discount expiry date on your Oyster card, then you will need a member of LU staff to extend the expiry date of your ‘Priv All Rail’ discount to the end date of your Season Ticket before you can buy the staff discounted (priv rate) rate season ticket.

If you make a journey after the expiry date of the staff discounted (priv rate) Season Ticket on your Oyster card, you will be charged either the full public Oyster fare (if the accompanying privilege discount entitlement has also expired) or staff discounted (priv rate) Oyster fare (if the privilege discount entitlement is still valid). If you travel beyond the zones of your Privilege Season Ticket, a privilege zonal excess fare will be charged. The fare will be deducted from the pay as you go credit on the card. If there is insufficient money on the card, it will not open the gates and you will need to add money to clear the negative balance before you next travel.

National Rail Services in the Oyster area

You can use a dated box on your Staff Travel Card, or a Status Pass for free travel on National Rail services.

If you want to use your Staff Travel Card to travel at Priv rate you can either buy a paper ticket or use an Oyster card. Getting the ‘Priv All Rail’ discount set on your registered Oyster card as mentioned in the section above will also allow you priv rate travel on Elizabeth Line, the London Overground and TOCs within the Oyster pay as you go area.

This is for leisure journeys only and cannot be used for residential travel.

On services operated by Tramlink which is owned by TfL, showing an undated Staff Travel Card allows free leisure travel.

A Staff Travel Card endorsed with Nil, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, or 8 can be used to buy staff discounted (priv rate) tickets for rail travel in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

A Staff Travel Card endorsed with 11 - National Rail only is not valid for use in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

Status Passes and Staff Travel Cards are not valid for any free travel in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

For the use of FIP facilities, please see the Europe and FIP page. 

America and Australia

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