FAQs

Can I select which train company I travel on?

Yes, the site will automatically display all the available routings and operators for the journey you select. Simply pick the one you want. You should be aware than some tickets are for a specified train company only whereas others can be used on any operator.

Can I use National Rail Travel Vouchers towards the cost of my Season Ticket?

Yes, any National Rail vouchers including Delay Repay vouchers can be used for full or part payment of your Season Ticket.

Under National Rail retailing rules you must however send any voucher(s) you wish to redeem against your booking to us before we can issue and despatch your ticket. You should therefore take this into account when selecting the start date of your new ticket.

Do I need a photocard to buy a Season ticket?

Yes, you must have a valid photocard to travel with any Season Ticket. Your photocard number must be provided at the time of booking and it will be printed on your Season Ticket. This photocard must be kept with your Season Ticket and shown to any train company staff who request it.

If you don’t have a photocard or you wish to get a new one then you can simply apply for one online with us at the same time you buy your Season Ticket. You just need to download a suitable “passport style” picture and we will send you your new photocard along with your Season Ticket.

Does my Season Ticket give me return travel?

Yes, your Season Ticket is for travel in both directions between the Origin and Destination stations you select (or indeed any stations between these two).

Most tickets are for return travel at anytime of the day and are completely unrestricted. They can be used by you as many times you wish while the ticket is valid. A few tickets are restricted to specific routes and /or train companies or may be restricted to off-peak travel only, but we will clearly display any conditions and you should make sure you select the correct ticket for your requirements.

If I’m travelling to London can I also get a Travelcard for travel around London?

Yes, if your journey goes into the London Travelcard area, you will get the option of buying a travelcard which includes travel on all TfL services including buses and the underground in London.

What length of Season Ticket can I buy on LoveRail.com?

You can buy a Season Ticket for a Weekly, Monthly or Annual period, as well as any bespoke period greater than a month and less than a year (eg 3 months and 6 days). The LoveRail site will automatically show you the fares for Weekly, Monthly and Annual periods. If you wish to see the price for a bespoke period then simply add the end date you wish your Season Ticket to run until and we will automatically calculate the price for you.

What happens if I lose my Season Ticket or it gets stolen?

If your Season Ticket is for a period of one month or more and has been lost or stolen then it can be replaced with the approval of the Train Company upon whose services are being used. The details of the loss need to be provided and in some cases (normally if you have had more than one loss in a year) you may be required to have a telephone or face to face interview to establish the full circumstances of the loss or theft.

However if it is your first loss within the last 12 months, then we will arrange to replace and dispatch your season ticket on the same day that we receive your request for a replacement ticket. If you have had more than one loss in a 12 month period, we will refer your request to the train company concerned and they will advise us whether or not we can issue a further replacement or if they require more details. This will normally be done within 5 working days.

If your photocard has also been lost at the same time, then a replacement photocard can also be provided. If you have previously ordered a photocard from us then we will use the existing picture we have. If you had a photocard which was issued at a station or by another retailer then we can issue you with a new photocard along with your replacement ticket, but you will need to download a new “passport style” photo. Please note that where we issue a new photocard this will have a new photocard number – which will also be printed onto your replacement ticket.

To apply for a replacement Season Ticket, simply login to your Loverail.com account and the details of your Season Ticket will be displayed. Select the “I have lost my ticket” or “My ticket has been stolen” option and this will take you to a page where you can enter the circumstances of the loss or theft, whether you need a replacement photocard or not, and the delivery details of where you would like your replacement ticket sent to.

There is a £20.00 administration fee for a lost or stolen Season Ticket replacement.

If your original Season Ticket subsequently turns up then you must return it to us.

How do I apply for a discount if my train journey is delayed or cancelled?

The discount you will receive and the way it is applied depends upon which National Rail Train Company you travel with. If your journey is on Arriva Trains Wales, Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway, Northern, Southwest Trains/Island Line or Transpennine Express then you will receive a discount under the Passenger Charter discount scheme which provides a discount when you renew your Season Ticket. The level of Passenger Charter discount varies between the train companies and details can be found on the relevant Train Company websites.

When you renew your ticket with LoveRail.com we automatically calculate any Passenger Charter discount due and apply it to the cost of your new ticket.

If you are travelling on any other Train Company then they will operate under the “Delay Repay” scheme whereby you are entitled to compensation each time you are delayed at least 30 minutes, regardless of the cause. However you have to make a claim - it is not paid out automatically. Details on how to claim will be on each train company's website. Under this scheme you will receive compensation in the form of National Rail Travel Vouchers, which can be used as payment or part payment towards any rail ticket, including a Season Ticket through LoveRail.com.

How will my Season ticket be sent to me?

Your ticket will be sent by one of Royal Mail’s delivery services. We strongly recommend that you select one of the tracked delivery services on offer – such as Royal Mail Special Delivery or Recorded. These services are tracked and require a signature on delivery, and in the case of Special Delivery has a guaranteed delivery of before 1pm on the next working day.

Please note that any tickets over £1,000 in value we will automatically be sent by Special Delivery at no additional charge to yourself.

What do I do if my Season Ticket doesn’t turn up?

If you have selected your ticket to be sent by Royal Mail’s Special Delivery or Recorded services then you can track the item with Royal Mail. You can access this service either by referring to the email we sent you when the item was despatched and clicking on the order number, or via the “my account” facility on the home page. Simply find your order and again click on the Royal Mail tracking number shown.

It may be that the item has not yet been delivered or Royal Mail tried to deliver but there was nobody available to sign for it. In these cases it may be possible to arrange another delivery or collect it from your local sorting office.

If you have any other problems please do not hesitate to contact us.

Please bear in mind that under National Rail Season Ticket retailing rules, Season Tickets are only permitted to be printed with 7 days of the start date, so we would ask that you double check the start date of your ticket as it may be that we haven’t yet despatched it. For all tickets purchased more than 7 days before the start date, we will automatically despatch 7 days before.

When will I receive my ticket?

Under National Rail retailing rules Season Tickets cannot be issued prior to 7 days before the start date of the Season Ticket. If you order your ticket within 7 days of the start date then for any booking made before 5pm (Monday to Friday) or by 11am on a Saturday, we guarantee that we will issue and despatch your ticket the same day. Please note that bookings made after 11am on a Saturday or Sunday will not be despatched until the following Monday.

For orders made in advance of 7 days prior to the start date we will confirm your order but we will not issue your ticket until it is 7 days before the start date, at which point it will be automatically printed and despatched to you.

Tickets sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery are guaranteed to be delivered before 1pm the next working day. Bookings made on a Friday or Saturday morning (before 11am) will be delivered on the following Monday. Bookings made on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday will be delivered on the following Tuesday.

If your item is being sent by Royal Mail 1st Class or Recorded, then Royal Mail also aim to deliver these on the next working day, but occasionally this might take slightly longer.

Where can I have my ticket sent?

Your Season Ticket can be sent to any UK address of your choice – it might for example be more convenient to have it sent to your work address rather than your home address.

Please make sure your address is correct, especially if you live or work in a shared building and remember if you select for your ticket to be sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery or Recorded then you need to make sure that you or someone you authorise is available to sign for the delivery.

Can I get a refund on my Season Ticket?

If you no longer need to use your Season Ticket then you can apply for a refund for any unused period. Refunds can only be issued by the original retailer of the ticket, so if you have previously purchased through another outlet such as a train station then you need to go back to that outlet to apply for your refund However if you purchased your ticket from us, then getting a refund is quick and easy!

In the case of weekly Season Tickets you can apply for a refund, at long as you have at least 3 days' validity left on the ticket. For monthly or longer tickets, you can apply for a refund if you have at least 7 days' validity left.

The refund given will be the difference, if any, between: (a) the price paid for the Season Ticket; and (b) the total cost of the combination of tickets that you would have needed to make one return journey a day up to the date the refund request is made, less a reasonable administrative charge. This means the amount you receive will not usually be pro rata to the price of the ticket and, in some cases, there may be no refund payable.The refund will calculated from the date you submit your refund request and will take into account the number of days already used, which will include the day on which you make your request.

To apply for a refund, you simply need to login to your LoveRail.com account and the details of your current Season Ticket will be displayed. Select the “I would like to apply for a refund” link and this will take you to a page which automatically displays your refund calculation. Once you are happy with the refund, you should click the “submit request’ button. A refund summary page will be displayed. Please print out this page and send it back to us along with your Season Ticket. We recommend using a tracked delivery service for the return of Season Tickets, especially if it is a high value ticket There is a £10.00 administration fee for processing a Season Ticket refund.

Once your Season Ticket has been received we will email you with confirmation of this and confirm the details of the credit/debit card onto which you want your refund to be paid, which should be the same one as you originally used to pay for the ticket. If you no longer have this card or it has been reissued then you should contact us.

What happens if I change my job or move house and I need to change the details on my ticket?

If you find that you need to make some changes to your current ticket, such as the origin or destination stations then you can do this at any time. This is generally known as a “Changeover” and involves changing the details of your existing ticket but not the expiry date.

You simply need to provide the new journey and class of travel information and we will automatically calculate whether you will entitled to a refund (where the new route is cheaper than the old one) or there is an additional amount to pay (where the new route is more expensive). As well as the journey details you can also change the class of travel if you wish, but you cannot change the expiry date, this will be the same as your current ticket.

Changeovers can only be undertaken on Season Tickets which are for a period of one month or more and which have at least 7 days validity remaining. There is no charge made for a Changeover.

To apply to change your Season Ticket, simple login to your Loverail.com account and the details of your Season Ticket will be displayed. Select the “I need to change my ticket” option and this will take you to a page where you can enter the details of your new journey and/or class of travel. We will confirm whether or not a refund is due or if any further amount is payable. If you wish to proceed, simply confirm that the details we hold for you are still correct, in particular the delivery details if you have recently moved house.

Before we are able to issue your new ticket you must send the original Season Ticket back to us along with a copy of the Changeover Request Order Confirmation page. We strongly recommend that any tickets are sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery or an alternative method with adequate insurance to cover the value of the ticket being returned. As soon as this is received we will contact you to get details of the credit / debit card you wish to use for the refund / additional payment and we will then issue and dispatch a replacement ticket the same day.

How is my Season Ticket refund calculated?

Season ticket refunds are calculated using a methodology which is defined by Train Companies and are included in the National Conditions of Travel. In calculating what you are due we are required to follow these rules. The principle behind calculating a refund on an season is that any amount you are due is the difference between the original price you paid and cost you would have paid for the period of travel from the start of the season ticket until the date that you requested a refund. Refunds are NOT calculated on a pro rata basis. It is also important to bear in mind that season tickets are discounted from the standard cost of travel. For example an annual season ticket which is valid for 52 weeks is normally charged for at the cost of 40 x the cost of a weekly tickets on the route of travel – which means that you are effectively paying for the first 40 weeks and then you get the last 12 weeks free.

When calculating how much of a refund is due we have to initially establish the period of use (in full and part weeks) and then the cost of this using the weekly fare for the route, so if for example the weekly fare for a journey was £50 and the ticket had been used for 21 weeks then the usage cost would be £1,050.

In this example the original cost of the season ticket would have been £2,000 and so the refund amount due is £2,000 (original cost) minus £1,050 (usage amount) = £950 (refund amount).

If you have a monthly season ticket the same calculation principles apply, although if you have used the ticket for a period which doesn’t involve just full weeks e.g. 2 weeks and 3 days, then the calculation of the usage cost for the part week period (in this example the 3 days) the calculation uses daily fares – the Anytime Return fare (for travel on Monday – Friday ) or the Off Peak Return fare (Saturday), Sundays are not charged. If the combination of daily fares exceeds the weekly fare cost then the lower weekly fare cost is used.

Can I renew a Season Ticket on LoveRail.com even if I didn’t buy it with you before?

Yes, any Season Ticket can be renewed with us online even if you previously purchased it at a station or with another online retailer.

All you need to do is to provide a few key details of your current ticket and we will automatically calculate if you are due any Passenger Charter discount and apply it to the cost of your new ticket.

Please note that most train companies are now moving onto the Delay Repay scheme whereby vouchers are issued if your train is delayed or cancelled when travelling using your Season Ticket. These vouchers can be redeemed against your next Season Ticket or any other rail journey.

Will I get any Passenger Charter Discount if I am renewing my Season Ticket?

Yes, even if you haven’t purchased with us before, we will automatically check if any Passenger Charter discount applies to the route you have selected and if it does, we will deduct the discount from the cost of your new ticket.

In order to qualify for a Passenger Charter discount your new Season Ticket must

• • Start within 28 days of the expiry of your previous ticket
  • Be on the same route
  • Be for the same or a lesser period of travel (must be for a month or more)
  

My Season Ticket has faded and is no longer legible, what should I do?

We know that with frequent use tickets can sometimes become worn and difficult to read (even though they may still work in any automated barriers). To replace a Season Ticket where the print has faded and some or all of the information is no longer legible then we will replace it free of charge if you notify and return it to us. To apply for a replacement Season Ticket, simply login to your Loverail.com account and the details of your Season Ticket will be displayed. Select the “The print has faded on my ticket” option and confirm where you would like your replacement ticket sent to.

Before we are able to issue a replacement ticket you must send the original Season Ticket back to us along with a copy of the Order Confirmation page. We strongly recommend that any tickets are sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery or an alternative method with adequate insurance to cover the value of the ticket being returned. As soon as this is received we will issue and dispatch a replacement ticket the same day.

My Season Ticket no longer works at the automated ticket barriers, what do I need to do?

The coding on the magnetic strip on the back of a Season Ticket is used to operate automated ticket barriers and gates. If the ticket becomes damaged or has been affected by an external magnetic field the strip may not be “readable”. To replace a Season Ticket which no longer works in the automatic ticket barriers, your ticket simply needs to be returned to us and we will replace it free of charge. Alternatively you might find it easier and more convenient to take it to your local train station who will be able to also replace the ticket without charge, while you wait.

If you wish to apply for a replacement Season Ticket from us, simply login to your Loverail.com account and the details of your Season Ticket will be displayed. Select the “My ticket does not work in the automatic ticket barriers” option and this will take you to a page where you must enter the delivery details of where you would like your replacement ticket sent to.

You must send the original Season Ticket back to us along with a copy of the Order Confirmation page to the specified address. We strongly recommend that any tickets are sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery or an alternative method with adequate insurance to cover the value of the ticket being returned. There is no charge for replacing a ticket which no longer operates the automated barriers and gates.

How can I still travel if I’ve lost my Season Ticket or I need to send it back to you for replacement?

If your ticket has been lost or stolen, or you have sent it to us to be replaced, and you still need to travel, then you will need to purchase daily or weekly Season Ticket(s) to use, which must be on the same route and class of the season ticket being replaced. This can be done at any UK train station.

A full refund on any ticket(s) purchased can be obtained by returning them to the place of purchase. You will also need to complete a refund form which will be available from the train station ticket office. We would also advise you to take a copy of the confirmation email we send you confirming your application for a replacement ticket as proof that you are entitled to a free refund of any interim tickets.

What do I do if I leave my Season Ticket at home?

If you find that you have turned up at the station and realised that you have left your Season Ticket at home. In order to travel you will need to buy another ticket for the same journey for that day, which you can do from the station. You can subsequently request a refund on the additional ticket purchased. You can request a maximum of two refunds in any 12 month period, but you must show your valid Season Ticket (including photocard) when requesting it.

You must request this refund from the train station where you purchased your ticket to travel and they will give you an immediate refund.