Photos on Senior Rail Card

[a_c_skinner]

Renewed on line as I'm planning to emerge from COVID isolation. Works really well, I'm impressed. Really easy to upload the photo too. However the card does not bear the photo. Is this right? Why did they want a photo? Please tell me train managers won't be expecting a nice likeness of me on the card.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Others have previously reported on here, and for some months now, that online renewals of Senior Railcards are requiring photos to be uploaded.

Apparently they are not actually needed but the glitch asking for them seems to have still not yet been fixed.

 

[30907]

Others have previously reported on here, and for some months now, that online renewals of Senior Railcards are requiring photos to be uploaded.

Apparently they are not actually needed but the glitch asking for them seems to have still not yet been fixed.

Be that as it may, mine (digital, issued March) certainly has my photo (mirror image!) on the same screen as the barcode.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Be that as it may, mine (digital, issued March) certainly has my photo (mirror image!) on the same screen as the barcode.

Think the OP was talking about a physical Senior Railcard.

 

[a_c_skinner]

Yes, physical. Sorry. And apologies for missing the earlier threads. You know how memory goes as you get older.

 

[AY1975]

So does a physical Senior Railcard now require a photo?

 

[FenMan]

So does a physical Senior Railcard now require a photo?

No.

It's a web-site glitch. I uploaded a photo when I renewed in January, so the computer would say "yes", but there's no photo on the physical Railcard

 

[gordonthemoron]

Does a disabled railcard require a photo?

 

[David57]

Does a disabled railcard require a photo?

No, it doesn't.

 

[ChrisC]

No.

It's a web-site glitch. I uploaded a photo when I renewed in January, so the computer would say "yes", but there's no photo on the physical Railcard

I renewed my 3 Senior Railcard a few weeks ago and the website was asking for a photo. I found if that point you go back to the previous page and then try again the request for a photo disappears. Renewed mine with no problems after that and it arrived in the post a couple of days after.

 

[TUC]

I cannot see any reason why all railcards should not be required to have photos, in order to prevent fraud.

 

[oddiesjack]

I have tried to renew my railcard today, and was failing miserably, due to some unknown issue with uploading the unnecessary photo for the physical card. The error message was totally unhelpful , just saying "try again" and again and again. . Fortunately I checked on here and discovered the go back and retry trick, which has worked. Thanks to ChrisC for that tip.

 

[AY1975]

I have tried to renew my railcard today, and was failing miserably, due to some unknown issue with uploading the unnecessary photo for the physical card. The error message was totally unhelpful , just saying "try again" and again and again. . Fortunately I checked on here and discovered the go back and retry trick, which has worked. Thanks to ChrisC for that tip.

I didn't think you needed a photo for a physical Senior Railcard, as mentioned in entry #7 above. Or does this mean that you do need one if ordering or renewing your railcard online, even if you have a physical railcard rather than a digital one, but not if you buy it at a station? Or has the glitch mentioned above still not been fixed?

 

[syrac]

Is there a reason why some types of railcard (e.g. 16-25) have photos but others don't?

 

[geoffk]

I've had a senior railcard for some years now and have always found it odd that, unlike the bus pass, no photo is required. I always make enough train journeys to cover the annual cost of the railcard and don't recall ever having my signature checked - presumably no-one knows how much fraudulent use there is.

 

[Watershed]

Is there a reason why some types of railcard (e.g. 16-25) have photos but others don't?

Presumably it stems from a historic notion that Senior Railcards are less likely to be passed around amongst friends than other Railcards.

 

[plugwash]

Is there a reason why some types of railcard (e.g. 16-25) have photos but others don't?

Some thoughts.

Seniors are seen as relatively unlikely to break rules while young people and particularly students who have recently left home are seen as relatively likely to do so.

The Family railcard legitimately allows travel with either parent (technically either cardholder), and multi-family households are unusual. The abuse potential seems relatively low.

Requiring photos from disabled people would open up a huge can of worms. Some disabilies are associated with disfigurement and others would make it difficult to use a photobooth.

Two-together by it's nature would be especially prone to abuse if it didn't have photos, it's also a relatively recent creation.

I do find it somewat surprising that the network railcard doesn't require a photo, perhaps it relates to the fact it wasn't originally a photo at all.

 

[TUC]

The notion that it is more difficult for some disabled people to provide photos does seem to belong to a past world of photo booths rather than the modern world of mobile phones.

 

[yorkie]

The notion that it is more difficult for some disabled people to provide photos does seem to belong to a past world of photo booths rather than the modern world of mobile phones.

Good luck trying to introduce the requirement now!

I think the rail industry's idea is that 16-25 year olds can be untrustworthy; over 60s are trustworthy, and making accusations against disabled people is far more taboo than doing so against young people.

Indeed disabled people and seniors may not even be asked to show their Railcards by staff who do ask young people to show them; I have been present when this has happened and so I know this goes on.

It's not right but discrimination against young people definitely happens; from the way the rules are worded right down to the actions of staff on the ground. It is deemed acceptable by the rail industry.

 

[janb]

The Family railcard legitimately allows travel with either parent (technically either cardholder), and multi-family households are unusual. The abuse potential seems relatively low.

Family railcard sharing between friends or between different generations of a family is more common than you'd think. Not saying its completely rife but it is something you will encounter.

 

[Ianigsy]

.

Seniors are seen as relatively unlikely to break rules while young people and particularly students who have recently left home are seen as relatively likely to do so.

Try telling that to my grandma and her neighbour (both a good 25 years deceased now) who shared one for several years!

 

[Haywain]

I think the rail industry's idea is that 16-25 year olds can be untrustworthy;

I think that’s based on the fact that they’re easier to catch due to photos on railcards and the old technique of catching out holders of child tickets by asking their date of birth. It’s more difficult to catch ‘sharers’ of other railcards so what you get is a form of confirmation bias.

 

[AY1975]

Family railcard sharing between friends or between different generations of a family is more common than you'd think. Not saying its completely rife but it is something you will encounter.

Back in the 1980s when I was a kid, the Family Railcard required a photocard with the photos of both holders. My parents had one (in fact I recently came across it at their house!), but I think in about the late '80s or early '90s BR abolished the photocard requirement for a Family Railcard.