Can you buy a Disabled Persons Railcard from the station?

• Provide guidance, including explaining the application process and the eligibility checks you will be required to complete.
• Help you start the application process by guiding you through the steps that can be completed in person, and referring you to the right pages to finalise the application online.

However, the Railcard itself must be approved before use, so it will not be instantly available. This means that you should not wait until the day you need the Railcard to begin your application.

Railcards offer discounted train travel for a whole year, opening a world of adventure and discovery to rail passengers. Whether you’re commuting to work, visiting family or friends, or simply exploring somewhere new, you’ll enjoy cheaper train fares on every journey.

To apply for a Disabled Persons Railcard, follow these steps:

1. Complete the online application via the official Railcard website. Due to the eligibility checks required, you cannot buy a Disabled Persons Railcard through Trip.com, though you will, of course, have access to Railcard discounts when buying train tickets.
2. Provide proof of eligibility. This is to ensure that you qualify for a Disabled Persons Railcard. See the list below for full eligibility criteria. Examples of accepted eligibility proof include benefits documentation.
3. Upload a passport-style photo. This will appear on your Railcard in the app. Be sure to include a clear headshot that will be recognisable as you when you show your Railcard to train conductors during ticket inspection.
4. Pay the application fee. Just £20 for 1 year or £54 for 3 years.
5. Receive your Railcard. This can either be saved to your phone app in digital format, or sent to you in a physical copy by post.

To apply for a Disabled Persons Railcard, proof of eligibility is required. Eligibility for a Disabled Persons Railcard is that you are disabled or have a progressive medical condition, and one or more of the following is true:

• You receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP)

• You receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Child Disability Payment (CDP) at the higher or lower rate for the mobility component, or the higher or middle rate for the care component

• You have a visual impairment

• You have a hearing impairment

• You have epilepsy

• You receive Attendance Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP)

• You receive War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement

• You receive War or Service Disablement Pension for 80% or more disability

• You buy or lease a vehicle through the Motability scheme

• You receive a Disabled Persons Bus Pass in England, Scotland or Wales

• You receive a London Disabled Persons Freedom Pass

• You have a Blue Badge   

• You are currently unable to drive on medical grounds 

• You receive Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) benefits 

• You receive Industrial Injuries Benefit for 20% degree of disablement or higher

• You are without speech.

Some of these criteria were added on 1 March 2026, when the eligibility criteria were expanded. A further expansion is due in September 2026, with more eligibility for conditions that require professional health evidence, such as long-term or degenerative medical conditions, and neurodiversity, where it has a substantial impact on a person's ability to travel by train. Note that the eligibility criteria are set nationally.

 The standard price for a 1-year Railcard is £20, an affordable price for a whole year of discounts on rail journeys across England, Wales, and Scotland. People with a Disabled Persons Railcard save on average £126 per year, more than six times the price of buying the Railcard!

For even bigger savings, it is also possible to buy a 3-year Disabled Persons Railcard. Priced at £54, this makes the annual cost of the Railcard £18, or a 10% extra saving per year.

Remember too that the Disabled Persons Railcard includes 1/3 off fares for a companion, potentially doubling the savings available to you.

In most cases, a Disabled Persons Railcard will be well worth the cost. Each traveller is different, so the exact amount you will save will vary based on the number of journeys you take and your most frequent routes.

The benefits of a Disabled Persons Railcard are especially strong for people who:

• Travel more than once or twice a year. Regular travellers will save the most on a day-to-day basis, whether you are travelling for leisure, to medical appointments, visiting friends and family, or something else. However, to make the Railcard worthwhile may require fewer journeys than you think. With discounts of 1/3 on every journey, the savings can quickly add up!
• Travel with a companion, as the Disabled Persons Railcard includes 1/3 off fares for a companion. So, if you regularly travel with a friend or carer, you can save more with a Disabled Persons Railcard.
• Take long-distance journeys, since the savings will be greater on more expensive routes.

See these examples of potential savings:

• London to Bristol: When booked in advance, tickets start from £12.50 for trains from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads. With a Disabled Persons Railcard, you and a companion could each save more than £4 on the cost of your day out in the South West.
• Leeds to Manchester: On your way across the Pennines to Manchester? Your direct TransPennine Express service to Manchester Victoria will cost £23.20 if bought on the day. With a Railcard, you will pay only £15.45. A tidy saving! Want to travel First Class? You can use your Disabled Persons Railcard on First Class tickets too: rather than £45.50, you can travel in style from Leeds to Manchester for only £30.30.