Get cheaper train tickets by swapping your railcard for an avocado

Yes, really!

Words by Anna Clarke

If there’s one thing we’ve been led to believe about millennials, it’s that they really love avocados. Like, a whole lot. More than owning their own homes apparently. But one thing they probably love more is cheap train tickets, proven by the super fast sell-out of the 26 – 30 millennial railcard yesterday.

So Virgin Trains have cleverly decided to counter our disappointment by offering discounted rail fares to those that bring an avocado along for the journey. Sounds a bit like an April Fool's, but stay with us.

Passengers that are aged between 26 and 30 years old and present the piece of fruit at a Virgin ticket desk will receive a third off their rail fare. So start raiding that fruit bowl now!

A Virgin Trains spokesman said: ‘Passengers who meet the criteria to qualify for a 26-30 railcard can bag themselves a discount on their journey with Virgin Trains on the West Coast by simply presenting an avocado at the ticket office, instead of the usual railcard, along with photo identification.’

Adding, rather helpfully, that ‘after buying their tickets, the #Avocard can be enjoyed as a healthy snack.’

Sure the ‘Millennial #Avocard’ might just be a gimmicky marketing stunt but if it means saving a little dollah and finally visiting that one mate half way across the country (you know the one who refuses to live in London), then surely you can’t go wrong.

People on Twitter have been reacting to the announcement with some scepticism and a bit of confusion.

So, it turns out it’s not some weird windup, but don’t run out to Tesco and stockpile those avos just yet because so far it’s only available from the West Coast team until 20th March.