Full details have today emerged of a new railcard for people up to the age of 30. The so-called “millennial railcard” is an extension of the current young person’s pass for travellers aged 16 to 25.

Rumours of the hotly anticipated pass first emerged last month and have now been confirmed by Philip Hammond in the autumn budget. 

The card is not actually a physical badge but a £30 digital pass available via an app that remains valid for a year (unlike the current card, no three-year version is available). It will be rolled out in spring 2018, after an initial trial phase for 10,000 people under 30 living in the Greater Anglia area.

The new railcard will offer users a third off standard anytime and advance train fares nationwide. Holders in London will also receive a daily cap on off-peak Oyster card usage.

But crucially, this discount applies to off-peak train journeys only. This means it’s unlikely to help regular commuters who travel during rush hour.

Peak travel varies between individual train companies and routes, but will typically exclude any services before 10am and often services that run between 4.30-6.30pm, too. 

Another snag of the new, extended railcard is that it doesn’t apply to season tickets. So, it does nothing to soften the blow of the 3.6% hike in fares for season ticket holders that comes into effect in January (the highest increase since 2013).

With soaring rents and exorbitant student loans, we’re all aware of enormous challenges that millennials face in today’s tough financial climate.

The new railcard aims to address these, by acknowledging that there’s little difference between the circumstances of people below 25 and those aged 25-30. The Treasury says the new-look pass will help an additional 4.5 million young people with the cost of living. 

Tory strategists also hope the move will help to reignite youth support for the Conservatives, after a disastrous election result earlier this year that saw many young voters throw their weight behind Labour.

The expansion of the railcard has been welcomed by some, but not everyone is thrilled with it - especially given its obvious limitations:

Many more people are frustrated by the fact that it seems to be a drop in the ocean; a token gesture that hardly resonates against the huge cost of living, pension woes, a Brexit bill and other major barriers that today’s millennials must tackle:

What do you think, will you use the new millennial railcard? Are the benefits worth the price? Is it even helpful at all, given it can’t be used during commuter periods or on season tickets? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting us @stylistmagazine.

Images: iStock