Overview
- From 17 August 2026 the Department for Transport will let 16- and 17‑year‑olds buy the 16‑17 Saver and use it for a full 12 months even if they turn 18 during that period.
- Under the new rule 18‑year‑olds who bought the card at 16 or 17 can keep receiving 50% off most train fares until the card expires.
- The previous rule ended the card on a holder’s 18th birthday and the DfT says that more than 70,000 young people each year lost out by about £175 on average because of that cutoff.
- The 16‑17 Saver costs £35 a year and this change brings its expiry rules into line with other youth railcards so students and trainees face fewer gaps in discounted travel.
- Ministers present the extension as part of wider fare and ticketing reforms ahead of Great British Railways including more contactless pay‑as‑you‑go and digital ticketing trials and a separate plan for a capped single bus fare.