A petition has been launched calling for veterans’ and armed forces rail discounts to be a legal right.

Rebecca Smith, MP for South West Devon, has organised the petition calling on the government to guarantee the Veterans Railcard and HM Forces Railcard in law.

She warns that without statutory protection these vital discounts could be vulnerable to being removed in the future.

Rebecca said: “When it comes to something as important as support for veterans and serving personnel, words aren’t enough. If the government believes that veterans and our armed forces matter, they should do the right thing and support them in this small but significant way.”

She is urging everyone to sign the petition to show their support for keeping the ‘vital’ railcards protected in legislation as the Railways Bill continues its passage through Parliament. The link to the petition can be found here on her online campaigns page: https://tinyurl.com/5e9hrc2y Or at https://www.rebecca-smith.org.uk/campaigns/sign-my-petition-guarantee-veterans-railcard-and-armed-forces-railcard

She added: “This petition is about urging the government to protect these benefits for the long term and recognising the service and sacrifice of the armed forces community.”

The petition follows a debate in Parliament on the government’s Railways Bill, which will restructure and renationalise the railway. The bill protects rail discounts for many passengers, but does not guarantee railcards for veterans or serving members of the armed forces.

The current veterans railcard was introduced in 2020, providing eligible UK veterans with one-third off fares. Also, the HM Forces railcard offers discounts to serving personnel and their families.

During the bill’s passage, Conservative MPs supported moves to secure legal protection for the current veterans and forces railcards. But these proposals were voted down, leaving the future of the railcards dependent on government assurances rather than statute, said Rebecca.