Clwyd West Assembly Member and Chair of the Assembly Cross Party Group on the Armed Forces and Cadets, Darren Millar AM, has welcomed today’s announcement by the UK Government that military veterans are to get cut-price train travel to help boost job prospects and bring them closer to family and friends.
Available from Armistice Day this year, the railcard will extend discounted train travel to the more than 830,000 veterans not covered by existing discounts.
Welcoming the announcement, Darren said:
“This is absolutely fantastic news for our veterans. We owe it to those who sacrifice so much for our country, to provide them with the very best services and support and this railcard will help veterans greatly.
“Many veterans face difficulty in trying to access employment once they have left their time in the military and this railcard will open up opportunities to them, it will also help strengthen links with friends and family.
“The announcement of this railcard underlines the UK Government’s commitment to supporting former service personnel and recognises their service to the country”.
The money-saving announcement forms part of the UK Government’s Veterans Strategy, which will be coordinated by the recently-established Office for Veterans Affairs.
This action plan, which has also been launched today, outlines what the UK Government is doing to deliver more for veterans and sets out holistic support for those who served, in areas including community and relationships, employment and skills, health and wellbeing, finance and debt, housing, and contact with the law.