Eighteen-year-olds will be able to buy half price train tickets for most services when railcard rules are changed later this month, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

It’s an extension of the 16-17 Saver railcard which currently expires when the holder turns 18. From 17 August, they will be valid for a full year from the date of purchase.

It means 17-year-olds will be able to buy the railcard up until the day before they turn 18, making it valid until the day before they turn 19.

The existing rule meant more than 70,000 students each year were an average of £175 worse off than those in the same academic year who hadn’t yet had their 18th birthday, the DfT said.

The 16-17 Saver Railcard costs £35 per year and entitles the holder to 50% off most train fares.

Rail minister Lord Hendy claimed this “common sense change” is “exactly what passengers should expect from the railway”.

He said the change would “lower the cost of travel at a critical time for teenagers, whether they’re pursuing further education, vocational pathways or getting their footing in the jobs market”.

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said the change demonstrates the sector’s commitment to “offering better value fares and delivering a more joined-up railway”.

Kaynat Ahmad, vice president for further education at the National Union of Students, described the railcard as “essential for young people reliant on trains to get to college, work or training”.

Eighteen-year-olds were already entitled to a 16-25 Railcard, but that only entitles them to a third off the cost of travel.

The announcement comes after the government said the cap on most single bus fares in England will be cut from £3 to £2 next year.