The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has announced a massive sale of millions of train tickets on special offer from next week until the end of March.
The discounts will be available on a limited basis and Advance and Off-Peak travel can be purchased at a bargain between 14-20 January 2025, so would-be rail passengers should act fast to take advantage of the promotion.
Over two million discounted tickets on offer
Nearly every train operator across the country (except Hull Trains, Lumo and Merseyrail) will be participating in the action which is intended to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the world’s first passenger train service.
The annual 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,” the announcement said.
Some of the discounts will offer more than 50% off the usual full price journey, such as London to Newcastle slashed from from £52.10 to £23.60. The DfT has also highlighted other great deals, for example Nottingham to Manchester will be £9.20 instead of £18.50 and Glasgow to Inverness will cost just £14.10, reduced from £28.10.
🎟️ The Rail Sale is back! Starting next Tuesday 14th January, over 2 million sale tickets will be available, with up to 50% off to help with the cost of living. pic.twitter.com/2VSjh3EzHf
— Department for Transport (@transportgovuk) January 10, 2025
Promoting greener travel choices and access to public transport
It’s not the first time the DfT has stepped in to give rail passengers a break from what many people in the UK think are extortionate prices that prevent people from making greener travel choices. When a similar promotion happened in 2024 over 600,000 tickets were sold, officials have said, resulting in worth £5.1 million in fares revenue and bringing in “an extra 440,000 journeys taken by train”. That extra income was achieved despite passengers saving around £5.8 million between them.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the “biggest ever rail sale” was designed “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,” she added.
Price rise set for early March
Getting in there quick to secure your tickets and perhaps make those trips that otherwise would be out-of-reach is especially important given that rail prices are set to increase from early March. However, that hike has been limited to a maximum of 4.6 per cent for so-called “regulated fares” such as commuter season tickets and some long-distance, off-peak returns tickets.