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Yes, tube fares are going up next week. But don’t despair just yet, because if you’re eligible for a railcard you can make lots of savings on your Oyster card.
If you didn’t know, you can save a third on pay-as-you-go tube, bus and tram fares during off-peak hours if you connect your railcard to your Oyster. It might feel a little retro using a physical Oyster card instead of contactless payments, but with the savings it’s totally worth it.
Here’s how to do it.
Which railcards can be connected to an Oyster card?
Any National Railcard can be used to get discounted TfL travel. You can use the following:
- 16-25 Railcard
- 26-30 Railcard
- Senior Railcard
- HM Forces Railcard
- Disabled Persons Railcard
How to connect your railcard to your Oyster
First, you need to register your Oyster card online with your TfL account. Then to link them up you’ll need to go in to a tube station with your Oyster and railcard and ask a member of staff to help you. They will connect your railcard to your Oyster on one of the ticket machines. You should be able to do this at any tube station, but some stations only have certain hours when they can help with this – you can find out when those hours are by enquiring inside the station.
When are TfL peak hours?
Peak times are from 6.30am to 9.29am and from 4pm to 6.59pm Monday to Friday. During peak travel times you won’t get the railcard discount.
How much money can I save?
During off-peak hours a 34 percent discount will be applied to your Oyster card. For example, an off-peak single tube fare that would normally cost £2.40 will cost £1.59 with the railcard.
Can I link my railcard to my contactless card?
At the moment unfortunately no, you can only receive railcard discounts by using an Oyster card. However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said he’s trying to come up with a solution for this.
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