Leavers

The criteria for determining whether an employee retains travel facilities on leaving service with the rail industry are complex, and it is always best to look at individual circumstances rather than rely completely on generalisations. RST will provide specific information, in complete confidence, to either employees or employers at any time.

In addition, the rules have changed over the years (for instance in October 2006 to comply with age legislation) so if you have already retired, it is highly likely that you were subject to very different Rules at that time.

This broad overview of the current position is designed to help steer employees and employers in the right direction. The main things to bear in mind are:

• Only Safeguarded staff retain any national travel facilities in retirement
• Where travel eligibility continues beyond active service, it will always be for leisure purposes only.
• For safeguarded staff, it is the circumstances of leaving, rather than length of service, which usually makes the difference.
• The level of facilities held at the point of retirement is what you take with you into retirement. If you have STD class on leaving, you keep STD class thereafter.

Your eligibility for continued rail staff travel facilities after you leave railway employment depends on your status when you were working, and the reason for leaving. For current Active staff generally the following holds true:

• Redundancy: Keep but dependent on your employer meeting their obligations to RST. This is the current rule. Eligibility on earlier redundancy will vary depending on when the redundancy took place.
• Retired: Keep, provided also eligible immediately to take a rail pension and dependent on your employer meeting their obligations to RST.
• Death in Service: Keep (for family members already in receipt) and dependent on your employer meeting their obligations to RST.
• Retired by Ill-Health: Keep, provided also eligible immediately to take a rail pension and dependent on your employer meeting their obligations to RST.
• Resigned: Surrender permanently unless you transfer immediately to another Employer who is eligible to offer rail staff travel facilities to Safeguarded employees. If you join an eligible Employer at a later date you may be eligible but will need to provide proof of where you have been working. There can however be exceptions, owing to personal circumstances or the employer you are moving to or from, so feel free to ask RST about your own situation in confidence.
• Dismissed: Surrender permanently in all cases.

Returning to work after retirement/redundancy

For active employees, in some circumstances you can return to work in the rail industry and receive active travel benefits again. Please contact RST if you have any queries about this as it is dependent on who you work for.

This section only applies to safeguarded employees in receipt of a Staff Travel Card.

If you retire, you will retain travel facilities for yourself and your eligible family members, provided that on the date of leaving you are eligible to receive an immediate pension from a section of the Railway Pension Scheme or would have been eligible had you been a member of a section of the Railway Pension Scheme. You don’t have to take the pension, just be eligible to do so.

(For many employees, the minimum age at which a pension can be taken from a section of the Railway Pension Scheme is 50. However, from 6 April 2010, a change in the pension rules meant that if you transferred voluntarily to your current section of the Railway Pension Scheme after 5 April 2006, your minimum pension age may be 55. RPMI will advise you of your minimum pension age.)

[For employers, before advising RST that an employee under 55 has retired and is eligible to receive travel facilities, you must have confirmed the minimum pension age of the individual concerned and provided documentary evidence of this to RST.]

• If you retire because of ill health, to retain travel facilities for yourself and your family you must be eligible to receive either a normal age or an immediate ill-health pension from a section of the Railway Pension Scheme on the date of leaving.
• If you leave under redundancy, then regardless of your pension status (but subject to the paragraph below about the employer final payment) you will receive retired leisure travel facilities for yourself and your eligible family members. If you are dismissed, you will not retain any travel facilities.
• If you resign and leave the industry (i.e. Scheme employment), you will not retain any travel facilities. However you may be able to become eligible again. Contact RST for more information.
• If you are dismissed you will not retain any travel facilities.
• If for any reason you surrender your right to travel facilities (e.g. in return for a salary enhancement), you will not be able to have those facilities reinstated.
• If you worked for a company which pays for the issue of travel facilities, then continued issue in retirement of the facilities to which you may be eligible is additionally subject to your employer having made the requisite final payment to RST.

Previously, a combination of age and length of service were the main factors. If you did not meet these criteria at the time, you were not eligible then and so cannot be eligible now:

Retirement

• Age 55 or over with 5 years or more service
• Age 50 or over with 5 years or more service and with the employer’s permission
• Executive Grades (as recorded by RST against the employee record) may retire at 50 and retain travel facilities without the employer’s permission

Ill-Health Retirement

• Age 45 or over with 5 years or more service
• Under age 45 with 20 years or more service
• Under age 45 with more than 5 years and less than 20 years’ service, if you were continuously unemployed since the date of leaving (if you were in receipt of an ill-health pension, the minimum service requirement of 5 years is waived) – you must submit evidence of unemployment each year unless you have provided something from an official body confirming that you will never work again. The requirement to provide annual proof ceases when you reach 60 years of age.

Redundancy

• Age 45 or over with 5 years or more service
• Under age 45 with 20 years or more service
• Under age 45 with between 10 and 20 years’ service, providing you were continuously unemployed since the date of leaving. You must submit evidence of unemployment each year unless you have provided something from an official body confirming that you will never work again. The requirement to provide annual proof ceases when you reach 60 years of age.

RST will continue to handle these for you. As soon as RST is notified of your retirement, we amend your status in our records, and will contact you about any details specific to your own circumstances. Contact details

This section only applies to safeguarded employees in receipt of a Staff Travel Card.

The level and range of travel facilities held at the date of retirement is typically retained, however some cards must be returned immediately for exchange to a retired version.

Staff Travel Cards

You and your family may keep your existing active cards until the next renewal (mid to late March), when you will receive retired versions.

Status Passes (Gold, Silver or Blue)

You must return these to RST as soon as you retire so we can issue a retired version. You can do this by cutting each one into four and emailing a photo to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. A new photo must also be supplied, uploaded via our website so that the new card has an up-to-date image – this should avoid difficulties when travelling. Your new Status Pass will be valid for leisure travel only. If you do not do this within one month of leaving, a hold will be placed on your rail staff travel record so no further cards/passes are issued.

TfL Oyster Status Passes

As above – we will exchange your Active pass for a Retired version, provided you qualify to retain it under TfL’s rules, which are different from Rail Staff Travel’s rules. You must return these to RST as soon as you retire so we can issue a retired version. You can do this by cutting it into four and emailing a photo to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you do not do this within one month of leaving, a hold will be placed on your rail staff travel record so no further cards/passes are issued.

International Reduced Rate Cards (FIP Cards)

The reduced rate travel facilities on FIP administrations for retired staff is not as generous as for active employees. However safeguarded employees may retain an active FIP card for a period of 6 months following the date of retirement, when it must be sent to RST for us to cancel it and issue you with a retired version.

International Coupon Tickets (FIP Coupons)

The free travel facilities on FIP administrations granted to safeguarded retired staff is not as generous as for active employees. After the date of retirement there are two opportunities to receive coupons available to active employees.

• You may apply for any coupons that you did not use in your last active annual allocation of coupons. The start date on the coupons can be any date up to 9 months after your leaving date.
• You may also apply for one additional free coupon on each FIP undertaking that was available at the time of your retirement. The start date on the coupons can be any date up to 45 months after your leaving date.

This is also available for eligible dependants, but only on those networks where free travel is granted to spouses/partners and dependent children. These coupons are valid for the usual 3 months. Thereafter you can only apply for coupons which retired employees and their dependants are eligible for.

You cannot keep any product which allows residential (commuter) travel, as this is only available during active service.

Residential Passes

If you hold a Residential Pass you must return it to RST on your last day of service. You can do this by cutting it into four and emailing a photo to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you don’t do so, a hold will be placed on your rail staff travel record so no further cards/passes are issued.

Gold or Silver Status Pass for Residential Use only

As you would already have a Retired Gold/Silver Status Pass for leisure use to have this second Status Pass for Residential use, you must return it to RST on your last day of service. You can do this by cutting it into four and emailing a photo to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you don’t do so, a hold will be placed on your rail staff travel record so no further cards/passes are issued.

Privilege Season Ticket

You must return your Privilege Season Ticket to RST for a refund using form XX11. If you don’t do so, a hold will be placed on your rail staff travel record so no further cards/passes are issued.

Reduced Rate Season Ticket

You must return your Reduced Rate Season Ticket to RST for a refund using form XX11. If you don’t do so, a hold will be placed on your rail staff travel record so no further cards/passes are issued.

Rail Staff Leisure Card

You must return it (and any issued to family members) to RST on your last day of service. You can do this by cutting it into four and emailing a photo to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Incident Card Team (ICT) Card

You must return your ICT card to your TOC ICT manager or RST on your last day of service. You can do this by cutting it into four and emailing a photo to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Duty Authority to Travel (DAT) Card

You must return your DAT card to your TOC manager or RST on your last day of service. You can do this by cutting it into four and emailing a photo to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

What if I’m safeguarded and return to work after retirement or redundancy?

Provided that:

• you return to work for a Scheme employer (one which grants such staff travel facilities under the Scheme); and
• you have not worked for any other in between working for two Scheme employers

then you may be eligible to receive once again active safeguarded travel facilities (normally only for residential purposes as your leisure eligibility will have been “frozen” or “preserved” as described above). However, while you might pass the eligibility criteria, the granting of any travel facilities, at any level, is still at the discretion of the new employer.

Before making or accepting a job offer, employers and employees are encouraged to check with RST that the particular circumstances qualify.

Public railcards might be suitable, depending on your circumstances. For instance Family and Friends, Two Together and Senior Railcards all offer good discounts.

The guide for widows and widowers is intended to provide basic information on continued provision of staff travel facilities.

It is for those who have been in receipt of the Staff Travel Card as the spouse or cohabiting partner of the former employee.