Will Forster MP calls for action on NHS rail travel costs

A Woking nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), who commutes via train, has raised concerns about the rising cost and complexity of rail travel for NHS staff working in central London.

She spends around £350 a month on train fares, with colleagues paying up to £500. For those working overnight shifts, the problem is even worse. Because shifts run across midnight, staff often have to buy tickets for different days, meaning railcards may apply in the evening but not on the return journey the following morning. Day tickets typically expire at 4am, leaving many night-shift workers paying full fare.

The issue affects NHS staff across all professions and has implications for recruitment and retention at hospitals like GOSH, where high commuting costs are contributing to staff turnover.

Ahead of Will Forster MP raising this issue, South Western Railway confirmed that railcards are managed nationally, not by individual train companies. Any NHS railcard would need to be considered by the Rail Delivery Group or Great British Railways, alongside the Department for Transport. SWR also confirmed there should be no practical barrier to creating a new railcard.

Will is calling for a practical first step, such as an NHS railcard, to support key workers and better reflect the realities of NHS shift work.