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The 24 passenger train operating companies in England and Wales joined the Government's New Deal programme in May 1998.
The train operators have renewed the card until May 2002.
The New Deal rail card was the first national rail card issued since privatisation.
The card is issued by the Employment Service to unemployed people between the ages of 18 and 24 who are part of the New Deal programme.
The card offers holders a 50% discount off rail travel throughout England and Wales.
The ticket types it provides discounts on are savers, supersavers, standard single and open returns, weekly and monthly season tickets (max three months).
Examples of the saving that can be made.
A New Dealer can save £38.50 on a weekly travelcard from Brighton to London including travel on buses and tubes (normal fare £77 - New Dealer fare £38.50).
A season ticket for three months between Tunbridge Wells and London (no underground) will cost £673.92. A New Dealer will pay just £336.96.
A saver return between Sheffield to Manchester costs £13.50. A New Dealer pays £6.75.
The card is valid for a period of three months. When it expires, holders renew the card for the same period providing they have not obtained employment.
More than 37,000 New Dealers have been issued with the card and 18,000 of these have been renewed.
The card has been used to make more than 726,000 journeys rail journeys
The New Deal rail card is not valid on ScotRail services. ScotRail offer a similar card for young unemployed people in Scotland.
ENDS
For more information: ATOC press office 020 7904 3010
