UK: Eligibility for a Disabled Persons Railcard will be extended from March 1 to include a broader range of visible and non-visible disabilities.
The Disabled Persons Railcard costs £20 for one year or £54 for three years, and offers a third off rail fares for the named card holder, a third off for one accompanying adult aged 16+, and access to discounts including days out, hotels and restaurants.
New Disabled Persons Railcard eligibility criteria
From March 1 eligibility will extend to those who have a Blue Badge for car parking, receive a Disabled Persons Bus Pass in England, Scotland or Wales, receive a London Disabled Persons Freedom Pass, are currently unable to drive on medical grounds, receive Armed Forces Compensation Scheme benefits, receive Industrial Injuries Benefit for 20% degree of disablement or higher, or are without speech.
From September 2026 the criteria will be extended to include conditions requiring clinical or professional evidence, such as some long-term or degenerative medical conditions and forms of neurodiversity that have a substantial impact on a person’s ability to travel by train. Full details of the evidentiary requirements and application guidance will be published before September to ensure customers and frontline staff have clear, consistent information.
Accessible Railways Roadmap
Expansion of eligibility was announced in November 2025 following a review undertaken by the Rail Delivery Group, the Department for Transport and Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee which concluded that the criteria should better reflect modern understanding of disability and the real travel barriers people face.
This forms part of the government’s Accessible Railways Roadmap outlining the actions being taken to improve accessibility across the rail network ahead of the creation of Great British Railways.
‘Widening the eligibility for the Disabled Persons Railcard is an important step forward in helping more people access rail and travel with confidence’, said Rail Delivery Group Executive Chair & CEO Jacqueline Starr. ‘Working closely with government the industry is committed to building a railway that reflects the needs of the communities we serve today and, in the future, ensuring our network is inclusive, welcoming and supportive for every passenger.’
