- passengers given additional 6 months from the original expiry
date to redeem rail travel vouchers
- expiry date extended as COVID-19 restrictions in England
eased in recent days
- ensures thousands of rail passengers are not left out of
pocket for following the government’s recent stay at home advice
Rail passengers with unused travel vouchers have been given extra
time to redeem them to ensure they are not left out of pocket
from COVID-19 related restrictions.
Thousands of passengers with rail travel vouchers, which have
expired or are due to expire between 20 October 2020 and 30 June
2021 will get an additional 6 months after their original expiry
date to redeem them to recognise the fact that most passengers
had been unable to use them during the second and third national
lockdowns.
The government’s roadmap out of lockdown has ensured significant
parts of the indoor economy and further outdoor settings have
reopened including non-essential retail, personal care and
hospitality businesses in England and overnight stays permitted.
Transport Secretary said:
This extension ensures that passengers with travel vouchers are
not penalised for following government advice.
By offering people more time to redeem their vouchers, we are
ensuring that passengers will not be left out of pocket as they
come back to the railways.
Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive Officer of the Rail Delivery
Group said:
This welcome extension means more people will be able to get
out and about by train as restrictions ease. With rail
companies boosting cleaning, adding services to support social
distancing and the vast majority of people wearing face
coverings, returning passengers can travel with confidence.
The government is still advising people to minimise their travel
and work from home where they can. However, for those who are
travelling, people are advised to walk and cycle where possible,
and if travelling on public transport to plan their journeys in
advance and travel at quiet times and on quieter routes.
When travelling, people should regularly sanitise their hands,
wear a face covering unless exempt and keep their distance where
possible.
To ensure people can travel with confidence on the railway, more
than 1,000 weekday services have been added since mid-February
2021 from around 16,900 per day to almost 18,000 from today. An
even more significant service uplift is planned for May.
