Staff Travel Card renewal for 2026/27

This news item applies only to safeguarded staff who entered rail service on or before 31 March 1996 and hold a Staff Travel Card. This news item does not apply to those who hold the Rail Staff Leisure Card or RST Online Leisure Card.

The preparations for the issue of Staff Travel Cards for 2026-27 (which are valid from 1 April 2026 to 30 June 2027) have started. We will be posting them out around the 3rd week of March. Once our supplier confirms the despatch date, we will update this news item.

Renewal Data Check

To ensure successful delivery we periodically request a number of card holders complete the Renewals Data Check XX22 form. If you were included in this audit we will have emailed or written to you in December.  We will not issue your cards until the form has been submitted.

Address Checks

During January we will contact all those for whom we have an email address, to check that we still have the correct address for you. If you have moved from the address we hold, please submit the Change of Address XX15 form by 16 January. If you move house and do not let us know, we will charge a replacement fee to issue Staff Travel Cards to a new address.

If you are moving between now and March but don’t know the date, please contact us so we can put a temporary hold on your account to prevent cards being issued to an address you might not have access to. You can then let us know when you have your new address and we will post your cards out.

Photographs

Earlier this year, card holders were advised that photographs for active employees and their family members will be printed on the 2026-27 cards. If we do not have photographs of active employees and the family members we will not issue Staff Travel Cards until photographs are received.

Where we hold photographs of retired employees and family we will include these on the Staff Travel Card. If we do not hold photographs then the photograph space on the card will contain an image to confirm that separate Photo ID is not required.

Retired employees can provide photographs to RST if they prefer the additional security that this provides. They can be submitted to RST using the Photo Upload XX43 form. If photographs are received by 31 January 2026 we will include them on the cards issued in March 2026. Photographs submitted from February onwards will be stored for the cards issued in 2027.

Barcode

The new cards will include a railcard format barcode, bringing them in line with barcodes printed on Rail Staff Leisure Cards and RST Online Leisure Cards issued to non-safeguarded employees and public railcards. The barcode will not operate the ticket barriers, but will be scanned by ticket inspectors and revenue protection. More information on the barcode will be provided on the carrier letter produced with the cards in March.