The price of almost four million train tickets will be slashed for a limited time as part of a government scheme in January.
For the fourth year in a row, the UK’s Department of Transport has launched the “Great British Rail Sale”, with ministers promising “huge discounts on over three million train tickets”.
The week-long sale, running from 6 to 12 January, will give passengers the chance to save more than 50 per cent on advance and off-peak tickets. Nearly all operators will be participating.
The discounted tickets can be used for travel between 13 January and 25 March 2026, available for all travellers, including commuters, people on weekend getaways and for half-term getaways.
Top deals include £10 journeys from Portsmouth to Waterloo, and £1.20 fares from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester airport.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent for The Independent, said: “Like many other regular rail users, I will be poised to buy cheap tickets the minute they go on sale, for journeys I was planning to make anyway.
“Personally, I welcome the latest Rail Sale because it will save me money, at the expense of the long-suffering taxpayer.
“The real test of the venture is whether it actually stimulates a significant amount of extra travel.”
The government says it is committed to getting more people onto the railways after the pandemic caused a significant slump in usage (although figures are gradually climbing.)
Passenger usage continues to grow but remains 14.5 per cent below pre-Covid levels (2019-20) when excluding the Elizabeth line, the 2024-25 rail trends reveal.
The sale comes months after the government announced it would be freezing regulated rail fares in England for the first time in 30 years to “ease the cost of living for hard-working people”.
Rail Sale tickets will be available to book directly with train operators and via third-party sites such as Trainline.
Discounted tickets will not be available on all routes and at some peak times. Railcard and other discounts cannot be used in conjunction with the Rail Sale fares.
Other key discounts to look out for include a 76 per cent reduction on a £41.70 ticket from Exeter to Waterloo, available in the sale for £10.
A £5.20 ticket from Newcastle to Middlesbrough will also see a 62 per cent reduction to £2.
Sheffield and Nottingham tickets to London terminals will be reduced by 50 per cent in the sale, too.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “We all want to see cheaper rail travel, so whether you’re planning a half-term getaway, or visiting friends or family, this sale offers huge reductions.
“It’s all part of our plans to build a railway owned by the public, that works for the public.”
The new year will bring in huge changes for train travel across the country, as more train companies will transfer to public ownership under Great British Railways (GBR).
GBR will be the single “directing mind” for the railways, with the government promising that the nationalisation will put passengers first and will “rebuild trust” in the railway.
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