Train ticket prices will be slashed by up to half under a ‘rail sale’ set of fares released today.
Brits travelling between Monday next week and May 27 can get lower prices in a bid to get people back on tracks.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps - who today appears in a cheesy advert in a North Face jacket in Edinburgh, beachwear in Cornwall and a hiker’s backpack in the Lake District - also said it would help with the cost of living.
All key English operators have signed up, covering major cross-border services into Scotland and Wales.
However, Welsh and Scottish operators are not part of the offer - despite it being dubbed the ‘Great British Rail Sale’.
Labour said the discounts will be "small comfort to passengers" after years of "soaring fares".
More than a million discounted tickets go on sale this morning and officials say at least 800,000 will be half price.
Passengers will be able to combine the sale price with railcards to buy tickets for one-third of the original price.
It could bring some Manchester to Newcastle journeys down to a little over £10, while seats on some London to Edinburgh services will be slashed from £44 to £22.
However, sleeper services are not included.
Mr Shapps said: "We've had two years of living life virtually. It is time to get real and visit our beautiful country."
Almost 3,000 fewer trains are running per day than before Covid. Leaked industry data seen by the Mirror shows there were 132,000 rail services in the week ending March 20.
That is down by 19,000 since the 151,000 in the week ending 23 February 2020.
Rail services are battling Covid absences and a funding crisis - as there are still only 72% as many passengers travelling as pre-pandemic, the data shows.
A single from York to Leeds will fall to £2.80 from £5.60, London to Cardiff cut from £47 to £25 and Portsmouth Harbour to Penzance going down to £22 from £45.70, the DfT claimed.
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, added: “Customers will enjoy over one million discounted tickets, so they can explore some of the fantastic locations that are accessible by rail."
But Labour's shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: "A decade of brutal Tory fare hikes have priced people off our railways.
"This temporary respite will be small comfort to passengers who had thousands taken out of their pockets from soaring fares since 2010.
"And the decision to end the sale just before half-term will mean many families face the same punishing costs over the holidays."
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham blasted: "Rail fares need to be reduced permanently, not temporarily."
Here’s everything you need to know about the plan:
How much are train tickets cut in price?
The Department for Transport (DfT) says more than a million tickets will be cut in price by “up to” 50%.
Officials say at least 80% of tickets included in the sale will be at a 50% discount.
The others will be at a “substantial” discount but we don’t know what this is, or the exact number of reduced tickets.
When can I travel?
The discounted tickets will be sold for journeys made between 25 April and 27 May.
When will discounted tickets go on sale?
Tickets go on sale today in one big clump, first come, first served.
There is not an exact launch time as it varies by operator, but the intention is to have them all live by mid-morning.
Further batches will not be released so you’ll need to be quick to grab the tickets you want.
Where can I buy them?
Tickets will be on sale at www.nationalrail.co.uk/railsale.
The DfT says all retailers for its franchised operators, and third party retailers, will offer the tickets.
Which routes are offering the sale?
The DfT says all English government contracted train operators will be taking part in the sale.
Those are: Southeastern, London North Eastern Railway, Avanti West Coast, Greater Anglia, South Western Railway, Great Western Railway, Northern, C2C, Chiltern, London Northwestern Railway, Cross Country, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Railway, Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern, TransPennine Express.
Hull Trains and Grand Central are also part of the scheme.
But Welsh and Scottish operators are not thought to be part of the ‘Great British’ rail sale.
Can I combine it with my railcard?
Yes, railcards - which generally give a third off - can be used on top of the discounted price.
This means railcard holders could buy a ticket for one third of the original price by combining a railcard with the sale.
Can I use it for a sleeper train?
No, sleeper services are not included.
What type of tickets are discounted?
The exact details will vary by operator but the sale applies to off-peak and advance fares.
Who is paying for all this?
Technically the operators, but essentially it’s the government which has had to give bailout funding to services due to lower demand post-Covid.
