THE new 26-30 Railcard will be introduced nationwide in December, following trials in which all the available cards were quickly snapped up.

The Rail Delivery Group said it would mean that ‘more young people can explore Britain for less’, but Labour said the new card didn’t ‘go nearly far enough’.

The card first appeared as a trial in East Anglia on 6 December last year, and this was extended, also on a trial basis, to the rest of Britain on 13 March. The cards available were limited in number, and sold out almost immediately.

The permanent card will only be available in digital format, but the RDG is promising future railcard holders that ‘if their phone runs out of battery or gets lost it can be swapped to another mobile device’.

RDG managing director Jacqueline Starr said: ‘Britain’s rail companies are excited to announce that the National Rail 26-30 Railcard will be available across the country before the end of the year. It means more young people can explore Britain for less using our trains and benefit from saving a third on rail travel, making it cheaper to get out and enjoy the seaside or visit family and friends.’

But the new card has been criticised by the Labour Party.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said: ‘This doesn’t go nearly far enough. It won’t benefit the large majority of passengers, whose fares have soared above wages since 2010. And it won’t compensate the millions of passengers who have suffered as a result of the timetabling chaos.

‘Chris Grayling must insist that the train operators fund a fare freeze from their own profits, as Labour has called for.’