MORE than two million train tickets will be discounted during a promotion starting next week, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.
Thousands of popular routes across almost all UK train operators, including Transport for Wales and ScotRail, will be offering discounted tickets with journeys spreading the length and breadth of Great Britain.
Cheaper Advance and Off-Peak tickets will be available to buy in the rail sale between January 14 and 20.
They will be sold for travel across Britain between January 17 and the end of March.
Passengers in Liverpool could visit London for as little as £7, a journey from Preston to Edinburgh could be as cheap as £8.40, and a ticket from Nottingham to Manchester could cost less than a tenner.
Examples of price reductions on typical Advance fares – which are the cheapest tickets and must be used on specific trains – provided by the DfT include:
Sale tickets will be available on a limited basis. The only operators in Britain not participating in the sale are Hull Trains, Lumo and Merseyrail.
The DfT said passengers saved around £5.8 million during a similar scheme a year ago, when more than 600,000 tickets were sold.
This was worth £5.1 million in fares revenue and resulted in “an extra 440,000 journeys taken by train”, according to the department.
The DfT added that it “tasked the rail industry to deliver an even bigger sale” for 2025.
The sale delivers on the government’s commitment to put passengers at the heart of rail services and to raise living standards as part of the Plan for Change so working people have more money in their pockets.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “I’m launching the biggest ever rail sale so more passengers can get big discounts on train tickets to visit destinations across the country.
“Whether you’re planning a getaway or wanting to visit friends or family, this sale offers huge reductions on all sorts of journeys.”
The rail sale comes as the industry is marking the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger train service, when the Stockton and Darlington Railway in north-east England opened on September 27 1825.
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Over two centuries, rail has become a vital part of the UK, shaping the economy and lives of millions.
“The year’s rail sale will offer over two million discounted advance fares, which is a great way to save on your travel and celebrate 200 years of railway connections.”
Train fares will rise across England from March 2.
The DfT set a cap of 4.6% for increases in regulated fares, such as season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance routes and flexible tickets for travel around major cities.
The level of unregulated fare rises is decided by operators, although these are likely to rise by a similar amount as their finances are closely controlled by the DfT.
No announcements on fare rises have been made by the Scottish or Welsh governments.
Shadow transport secretary Gareth Bacon said: “One week of cheaper tickets, while Labour gives their union mates inflation-busting pay rises.
“This is little compensation for the passengers who have endured 42 days of delays under Labour, or the chaos over Christmas caused by their ‘no strings’ agreement with the unions.”
Inflation is pushing up the cost of everything, so there’s never been a better time to know how to save.
And that includes your train tickets – you might just be spending more than you need to.
We’ve rounded up some of the ways you can save money on your rail fare as prices continue to rise.
How can I reduce my train ticket prices?
National Rail offers a third off train fares that are standard anytime, off-peak, advance and first class advance for those aged 16 to 25.
You can buy the railcard annually for £30 or as a three-year card for £70, but if you regularly travel by train, you’ll make up this cost in no time.
If you regularly travel with a child aged five to 15 it could be worth looking into the Family & Friends Railcard, which gives you a third off most adult fares and 60 per cent off kids’ tickets. It can be used by up to four adults and four children.
There’s also the Two Together card, which costs £30 for the year, and offers a third off any standard and first class anytime, off-peak and advance fares if two named adults are travelling together.
What days are train tickets the cheapest?
If you’re a regular commuter, it may be worth looking into an annual season ticket.
National Rail says if you’re making the same journey for three or more days a week within a week, then a seven-day season ticket is likely to save you money.
You can use National Rail’s free online calculator to help you work out the cost.
Is it cheaper to buy train tickets in advance or last minute?
Network Rail releases its timetable 12 weeks in advance, so ticket firms usually make their fares available at this time.
The earlier you book, the less you’ll pay for your seat so don’t hang about if you know you’re going to be travelling over the next few months.
You can use National Rail’s future travel chart, which shoes the furthest advance date that you can buy tickets, as well as the Trainline’s ticket alert system, which notifies you when advance tickets go on sale for your journey.
National Rail’s website also has a cheapest fare finder which gives you the lowest possible fare across all train operators.
There’s also websites such as RedSpottedHanky, Trainline and Megatrain but these all charge a booking fee.
Is Trainline cheaper than National Rail?
Well, that depends – when you buy a Network Rail annual season ticket, you could also qualify for a gold card if you’ve bought it in the south of England.
The gold card offers a range of discounts including a third off off-peak travel.
While you’ll have to spend a large amount upfront, there are ways you can spread the cost.
For example you could join a commuter scheme such as CommuterClub.
Instead of paying the fare in one go, you pay the company in instalments over the course of a year with the idea being that an annual season pass is cheaper than a daily or monthly one.
But keep in mind that these companies will charge you interest – so you’ll end up paying more than if you buy the annual season ticket upfront. CommuterClub, for example, charges 10.6 per cent.
Do Oyster cards make trains cheaper in London?
Train companies may offer special deals if you have an Oyster Card, but that depends on your journey. It’s worth downloading the app for free if you haven’t already to check what might on offer.
You can also use websites such as Trainsplit and Ticketclever to check how much journeys could cost.
