Rail Warrant Accounts

The Rail Warrant Account provides a service for a limited number of organisations allowing access to rail travel across the National Rail network.

Account holders receive an account invoice showing tickets issued along with confirmation of journey details, and payment for tickets is made by direct debit from the account holder’s bank account.

Rail warrants cannot be exchanged at London Underground ticket offices and cannot be used in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

Eligibility

Rail warrant usage is now restricted to a limited number of organisations.

New account applications are considered only for organisations that have a specific requirement to issue rail warrants, such as purchasing rail travel for vulnerable people etc, where the usual account options would not be suitable.

Rail warrant accounts are no longer available to organisations issuing them to staff members.

Organisations that are not eligible for a rail warrant account should consider the other account options detailed on this website;

• Business Travel Service (BTS) – Business accounts offered by Train Operating Companies.
• Travel Management Companies (TMCs) – Full travel account packages.
• Online Retailers - Online business accounts.

Details of these services can be found on this website here.

Warrant completion

After your account has been opened, you will receive a warrant book containing 50 warrants. Simply complete a warrant for exchange at a National Rail station for the tickets that are required.

All relevant details on the warrant should be completed before being issued to the traveller. Details of ticket types are not required at the time of issue and no alterations are permitted.

After completion hand the warrant over to the traveller (please ensure you keep the carbon copy of the warrant for your records). They will then need to present this to the ticket office in exchange for a rail ticket before making their journey.

For further information on how to complete your warrant please see our section on How to complete an ordinary Rail Warrant.

Tickets

When the warrant is presented at the station, the ticket clerk should issue the cheapest ticket for the journey in question. Normal ticket prices are applicable and there are no special discounts available when purchasing tickets using warrants.

Season tickets cannot be purchased using an ordinary Rail Warrant Account.

Tickets can be purchased from any National Rail ticket office for any National Rail journey or for a combined National Rail/London Underground ticket.

Warrants cannot be exchanged at London Underground ticket offices, however warrants can be exchanged at all staffed National Rail stations for single journey tickets for London Underground only journeys starting from a National Rail/London Underground interchange.

National Rail ticket offices can also exchange warrants for Anytime or Off-Peak Day Travelcards.

To take advantage of cheaper fares it is possible to exchange a warrant for an advance purchase ticket, but in this case you would need to present the warrant, at a station that can issue advance purchase tickets, before the date of travel. The ticket clerk will check to see availability of these tickets and if available issue the ticket there and then in exchange for the warrant.

Warrants cannot be exchanged for railcard discounted tickets.

Please note that a warrant must be exchanged for a ticket prior to boarding a train. The only exception to this is when travel commences at a time when the station ticket office is un-staffed.

Car park tickets may be purchased using a rail warrant where operated by the train company, however please confirm with them before making your journey.

On-board meals (if available) may also be purchased using warrants. Again, please check with the train company before making your journey for their confirmation.

Through rail/ship journeys, where these fares exist, can also be purchased using a warrant but not port to port only journeys.

For more information on ticket types please visit the tickets information page on the National Rail Enquiries website.

Invoices & payments

Your organisation will receive an invoice every four weeks which will itemise all warrants presented over that period confirming journey details and the relevant ticket prices. Each warrant is individually numbered for you to easily reconcile your invoice.

A direct debit payment is then taken from your bank account 21 days from the date of the invoice for the full amount.

Security

Warrants cannot be stopped if lost or stolen and therefore it is important that all warrant books are kept secure as account holders are liable for the value of the bookings transacted under the account.

There are no restrictions on the number of authorised signatories on each account. A central record of these signatories is not held at Rail Delivery Group. Signatures will not be checked when presented at stations and therefore any warrant exchanged for a ticket will be applied to the account.

Refunds

If a ticket holder no longer requires their ticket, and provided the ticket is valid, then a refund can be applied. The ticket holder should go to the station where the ticket was originally purchased and they will be asked to complete a refund application form. The station staff will then give the ticket holder a copy of the refund form and the refund will be then applied directly to the warrant account. All refunds are applied directly to your account and will appear on your next invoice along with the refund fee.

Alternatively, some train companies will accept unused tickets sent to their customer services department who will process the refund and apply any credit due to the Rail Warrant Account.

You will need to know which train company operates from the station that originally issued the ticket. If you are not sure of which train company this is then please go to the ‘Stations and Destinations’ section of the National Rail Enquiries website. Type in the name of the station, click 'Search' and the website will advise you of the train company that operates from that particular station.

All refunds are applied directly to your account and will appear on your next invoice along with the refund fee.

Account fees

The current annual fee per account is £275 (£100 for registered charities). This is payable in advance by direct debit.

There is also a charge of £15 for each warrant book issued subject to a maximum charge of £3,750 in one year (1st April to 31st March).
 

Season Ticket Rail Warrant Accounts

• Business Travel Service (BTS) – Business accounts offered by Train Operating Companies.
• Travel Management Companies (TMCs) – Full travel account packages.
• Online Retailers - Online business accounts.

Details of these services can be found on this website here.