The aim is to make these regular communications more meaningful, user-friendly, and engaging, in line with best practice and accessibility requirements, and in response to feedback we have received from scheme members.

The first new-style newsletters will be issued this summer, with the e-bulletins following from autumn 2025. We wanted to let you know about the changes ahead of time and ask for your support in sharing them with your employees when they are issued.

What is changing?

From 2026, all newsletters for members of the railways pension schemes will be issued once per year.

Starting this summer, the newsletters will be available in three distinct formats:

• Print – for those who have opted in to postal copies, and for all members over 75.
• Fully digital (html) – offering enhanced functionality, such as more clickable links, embedded videos etc.
• A simplified digital version - for those who prefer to download, save, or print a copy at home.

Both digital versions will be accessed via the member website.

The printed newsletters will all be A4 in size (some are currently A5) and will use a larger font as standard to enhance readability.

The newsletters will also all have a cleaner, more modern look, including the introduction of coloured boxes to highlight important information, or where members need to take action.

These changes will be introduced on a newsletter-by-newsletter basis, beginning with Extra in June 2025 and ending with Insight in May 2026.

E-bulletins

In addition to the new-style newsletters, members will receive regular e-bulletins, sharing essential information about their Scheme membership, as well as wider pension news and legislative developments.

These will be targeted based on their age and membership status (active, preserved, pensioner) to ensure the content is relevant and actionable.

What does this mean for members?

Moving forward, members will receive more communication, including one bumper newsletter per year, and more regular engagement by email. In line with our communication strategy, these communications will be timelier and more purposeful, delivering information to members at the point of need, and focusing on those members who need the most support to maximise their pension benefits.

Those who prefer to continue receiving print copies of their newsletters can opt in to do so (if they haven’t already).

They can also register for an online account, which would give us their email address and enable them to receive the new e-bulletins, without it affecting their printed newsletters. If they prefer not to give an email address, then the e-bulletin articles will still be accessible via the member website, without a need to log in.

Those who are happy to embrace digital communications will enjoy a more interactive newsletter on the member website, as well as the regular e-bulletins sent directly to their inbox.

Members can register their communication preferences via the web pages linked below:

RPS - railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/help-and-support/communication-preferences

BTP - btppensions.co.uk/resources/my-communication-preferences

Alternatively, they can call us on 0800 012 1117.

A news story about the forthcoming changes has also been shared with members and can be found via the links below:

RPS - railwayspensions.co.uk/knowledge-hub/news-and-views/news-updates/2025/06/16/improving-your-pension-communications

BTP - btppensions.co.uk/resources/news/2025/06/16/improving-your-pension-communications

What does this mean for you?

There will be no change to the services we provide you with as a result of these newsletter changes, or e-bulletins.

This work forms part of our wider Communications Strategy, which aims to give members of the railways pension schemes greater access to timely and relevant content about their pension and encourage greater engagement to lead to better outcomes. 

We have already tested these changes with members, and have received positive feedback, so we hope you like them too.

We will let you know as soon as the new-style newsletters and e-bulletins are issued and would appreciate your support in cascading these internally where possible.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please let us know.