More than two million train tickets will be discounted as part of a promotion next week, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.
The “biggest ever rail sale” will see cheaper Advance and Off-Peak tickets available to buy between January 14 and 20.
Discounted tickets will be sold for travel across Britain between January 17 and the end of March.
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:
– London to Newcastle discounted from £52.10 to £23.60.
– Nottingham to Manchester discounted from £18.50 to £9.20.
– Glasgow to Inverness discounted from £28.10 to £14.10.
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.
Passengers saved around £5.8 million during a similar scheme a year ago, when more than 600,000 tickets were sold, the DfT said.
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.
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.”
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