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© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
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© 2026. The Purpl Co Limited. All rights reserved.
8 min read
Written by
Georgina, Founder of Purpl
Published on
October 1, 2026
Last reviewed: 30 September 2026
Applies to: Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)
Written by: Georgina, Founder of Purpl
Thousands more disabled people, people with long term health conditions and neurodivergent people can now apply for a Disabled Persons Railcard following a major change to the eligibility rules.
From 30 September 2026, you may be able to qualify if you have a long-term impairment, health condition or neurodivergence that significantly affects your ability to travel by train.
Importantly, you do not need to receive PIP, have a Blue Badge or hold a Disabled Persons Bus Pass to use this new route.
Instead, the new rules look at how your condition affects your ability to use rail services. You will need professional evidence to show the barriers you experience.
If approved, the Disabled Persons Railcard costs £20 for one year or £54 for three years and gives you 1/3 off most train fares. One adult travelling with you can also get 1/3 off.
| What you need to know | Details |
|---|---|
| New rules started | 30 September 2026 at 9am |
| Cost | £20 for 1 year or £54 for 3 years |
| Discount | 1/3 off most rail fares for you and one adult travelling with you |
| Time restrictions | None |
| Average saving | £126 a year |
| New eligibility route | A condition or impairment lasting at least 12 months that creates significant barriers to rail travel |
| Check eligibility | https://www.railcard.co.uk/disabled-persons-railcard/eligibility/ |
From 9am on 30 September 2026, the Disabled Persons Railcard rules expanded across Great Britain.
You can now apply through a new route if you have a:
Your condition must have lasted, or be expected to last, for at least 12 months and it must significantly affect your ability to use rail services.
The Rail Delivery Group confirmed that the new test looks at how your condition affects your ability to travel by train, rather than your diagnosis alone.
This is the second major expansion of the Railcard during 2026.
Phase 1 started on 1 March 2026. It added more ways to qualify using existing documents, including a Blue Badge or Disabled Persons Bus Pass.
Phase 2 started on 30 September 2026. It gives people who don’t have one of those existing documents another way to qualify using evidence from a health or social care professional.
Key Takeaway: The railway is now looking at how your condition affects your everyday travel, rather than focusing strictly on benefit letters or diagnosis codes.
You may qualify through the new route if you have a long-term impairment, health condition or neurodivergence that creates significant barriers when you travel by train.
This could include people with non-visible disabilities and neurodivergent conditions who previously didn’t meet one of the existing eligibility routes.
Because conditions affect everyone differently, the independent assessment team focuses on your functional barriers. Simply sending a medical letter that states a diagnosis (e.g., “This patient has ADHD”) may not be approved on its own. The letter or evidence needs to explain how the condition creates real difficulty when you try to travel by train.
Purpl Tip: If you’ve checked the Disabled Persons Railcard rules before and thought you couldn’t get one, check again. There have now been two major eligibility changes during 2026.
There isn’t a simple list of barriers that automatically qualifies you.
Applications through the new route are looked at individually.
The key question is whether your condition creates significant disability-related barriers when using rail services.
Examples of disability-related barriers include:
These are examples rather than an official eligibility checklist.
Your application needs to show how your condition affects you personally when travelling by train.
Purpl Insight: Don’t just think about your diagnosis. Think about the parts of a train journey that you find difficult, unsafe, exhausting or impossible without help.
If you don’t qualify through one of the existing routes, such as PIP or a Blue Badge, you can provide professional evidence instead.
There are two options.
The letter should explain how your condition affects your ability to use rail services.
This can be completed and signed by a suitably qualified and regulated health or social care professional.
The Rail Delivery Group says applications that need professional evidence will then be looked at by an independent third-party assessment service.
Purpl Tip: Ask the professional providing your evidence to explain what actually happens when you travel. A simple letter confirming that you have ADHD, autism, MS or another condition may not be enough on its own.
The new route has been added to the existing Disabled Persons Railcard rules. It does not replace them.
You may already qualify using existing evidence.
| Eligibility route | Examples |
|---|---|
| New route from September 2026 | Professional evidence showing that a long-term impairment, health condition or neurodivergence creates significant barriers to rail travel |
| March 2026 expansion | Blue Badge, Disabled Persons Bus Pass, London Disabled Persons Freedom Pass, inability to drive on medical grounds and other recognised evidence |
| Existing benefit routes | PIP, Adult Disability Payment, qualifying War Pension or Armed Forces support and Motability |
| Other existing routes | Certain visual or hearing impairments, epilepsy and being without speech, subject to the individual evidence rules |
For example, the current eligibility guidance confirms that you can qualify if you receive PIP or Adult Disability Payment at any rate.
Blue Badge holders and people with a Disabled Persons Bus Pass in England, Scotland or Wales can also apply.
The full list and the evidence required for each route is available on the Railcard website.
Purpl Tip: Check whether you already qualify through one of the simpler document routes before asking a health professional for new evidence.
The Disabled Persons Railcard costs:
| Railcard | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 year | £20 |
| 3 years | £54 |
It gives you 1/3 off most eligible rail fares across Great Britain.
One adult travelling with you can also receive the same 1/3 discount.
There are no time restrictions, which means you can use the Railcard during peak and off-peak travel.
Disabled Persons Railcard holders can save an average of £126 a year.
Some types of ticket and services are excluded, so it is always worth checking the Railcard terms before booking.
Purpl Insight: The companion discount can make a big difference if your disability means you need someone to travel with you. They don’t have to be the same person every time.
Purpl Tip: Make sure you carry your digital or physical Railcard when you travel. You may be asked to show it with your discounted ticket.
One of the biggest problems with disability support is that people don’t always fit neatly into a particular box.
You can have a disability, long term health condition or neurodivergence that makes travelling much harder without receiving PIP or having a Blue Badge.
The new Railcard rules recognise this.
And the first expansion in March has already made a difference.
Rail Delivery Group figures show that 154,480 Disabled Persons Railcards were purchased after the March changes, compared with 111,141 during the same period in 2025.
That’s an increase of 39%.
Research carried out during the eligibility review also found that 79% of existing Disabled Persons Railcard holders and 73% of non-holders supported including non-visible disabilities in the eligibility criteria.
Of course, cheaper tickets don’t solve inaccessible stations, broken lifts, sensory overload or poor passenger assistance.
But widening the Railcard means more disabled people who face genuine barriers to travelling can at least access the same discount.
Purpl Insight: For us, this is the important part. Disability isn’t defined by whether you receive PIP. Looking at the actual barriers someone faces is a much more realistic way of deciding who needs support.
Yes. Under the rules launched on 30 September 2026, you can apply without receiving PIP. You will just need medical evidence showing that a long-term condition (12+ months) makes train travel significantly harder for you.
Yes. Neurodivergence is explicitly included under the new route where it creates significant real-world barriers during rail travel.
Yes. Blue Badge holders across England, Scotland, and Wales can use their badge as automatic proof of eligibility.
No. Your condition must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 12 months and significantly affect your ability to use rail services.
No. Anyone travelling with you can receive the 1/3 discount on their ticket. They do not need to be a registered carer or family member.
Not necessarily. Under the new route you can provide either a report or letter from a health professional explaining how your condition affects your ability to use rail services, or an impact declaration completed by a suitably qualified and regulated health or social care professional.
Yes. A Disabled Persons Bus Pass in England, Scotland or Wales is one of the accepted eligibility routes.
It costs £20 for one year or £54 for three years.
No. The Disabled Persons Railcard has no time restrictions, so you can use it during peak and off-peak travel.
The Disabled Persons Railcard eligibility rules changed again on 30 September 2026, potentially opening discounted train travel to thousands more disabled and neurodivergent people.
The biggest change is simple:
You don’t need to receive PIP, have a Blue Badge or hold a Disabled Persons Bus Pass to apply through the new route.
If you have a long-term impairment, health condition or neurodivergence that creates significant barriers when you travel by train, you may now be able to qualify using professional evidence.
The Railcard costs £20 for one year or £54 for three years and gives you and one adult travelling with you 1/3 off most eligible rail fares.
If you’ve checked before and didn’t qualify, check again.
Georgina is the Founder of Purpl and lives with Multiple Sclerosis and ADHD.
She created Purpl to help disabled people and people with long term health conditions save money and reduce some of the extra costs that can come with disability.
Purpl combines disability discounts with practical guides and information designed to make everyday life a little easier.
If you’re planning a journey, Purpl members can also access discounts that could help reduce the cost of travel, days out and holidays.
TrainPal – 20% off: Save 20% when booking eligible train travel with TrainPal.
Jet2holidays – £50 off: Purpl members can save £50 on eligible Jet2holidays bookings, with Assisted Travel support also available for disabled customers.
City Cruises – 30% off: Save 30% on eligible City Cruises sightseeing experiences.
TravelUp – save on holidays and travel: Access Purpl member savings on eligible TravelUp bookings.
London Eye – save up to 15%: Purpl members can save on eligible London Eye tickets when planning an accessible day out.
You can find more Purpl travel discounts and check the latest offers before you book, as discounts and terms can change.
Disabled Persons Railcard rules are changing in 2026: what it means for disabled travellers: Read our earlier guide to the 2026 Railcard changes, including the first phase of expanded eligibility and what was expected later in the year.
How to apply for a Disabled Persons Railcard: Our full guide explains how the Disabled Persons Railcard works, how much it costs, what evidence you may need and how to apply.
Accessible travel in the UK: booking trains, buses, taxis and more: Find practical information about accessible public transport, Passenger Assist and getting support when travelling around the UK.
Can you get a free bus pass if you are disabled?: Check who may qualify for a disabled person’s bus pass, how the rules differ across the UK and how to apply.
Travelling with a disability in the UK: your rights, airport parking, PIP and Blue Badge explained: Understand some of the support, rights and money-saving options available when travelling with a disability or long term health condition.