By Axel Kemp, Community Correspondent National Rail’s policy on ticket prices is to charge a full adult fare for everyone aged 16 or over, despite many 16-18 year olds still attending school full time. Students over the age of 16 that use the rail service to commute to school must pay £4.20 for a single ticket between Epsom and Sutton Rail Stations – almost 50% more than under 16’s would have to pay for the same journey.

Although students between 16 and 18 may apply for a student rail card which reduces the price of season tickets, this offer does not apply to single or day return tickets and it cannot be bought from the self-service ticket machines – a service used by many under 16 year old students to purchase their tickets.

London Buses are treated similarly – they are free for under 16’s, but after this age an over 16’s Oyster card must be applied for, which grants half price travel.

Callum Lytton, a student, says “We’re not treated as proper adults yet, and most of us are still in full time education. So why should we have to pay adult fares?”

The 16 year old continues, “It can cost more than £1 sometimes just to travel one stop, which I think is ridiculous. If we are to be charged adult fares then we should be recognised as adults elsewhere.”

National Rail declined to comment.