From Tuesday 14th January, passengers will be able to buy millions of train tickets at half the price as part of the government’s annual rail sale.
Until Monday 20th January 2025, selected advance and off-peak fares will be on sale at up to 50% off for travel between 17th January and 31st March 2025.
As part of this year’s rail sale, 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.
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.
Following the success of last year’s sale – which saved passengers around £5.8 million in total – the government tasked the rail industry to deliver an even bigger sale to offer cheaper tickets for passengers and encourage more people to travel by train.
Secretary of State, 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.
Make the most of this sale, get your tickets while you can!"
[Tickets provided by Trainline, rail sale discounts available only from Tuesday 14th January 2025. Discounts vary, terms apply]
Example fares during the rail sale
Journey | Sale price | Full price |
St Pancras to Whitstable | £7.20 | £11.30 |
Ashford to Ramsgate | £2.60 | £5.20 |
Newcastle to Carlisle | £6.00 | £12.00 |
Liverpool to London Euston | £7.00 | £14.00 |
Nottingham to Manchester | £9.20 | £18.50 |
Leeds to Sheffield | £3.60 | £7.20 |
London to Edinburgh | £26.15 | £62.50 |
Aberdeen to Edinburgh* | £14.50 | £29.00 |
Glasgow to Inverness* | £14.10 | £28.10 |
Preston to Edinburgh | £8.40 | £16.80 |
London to Newcastle | £23.60 | £52.10 |
*Journeys on ScotRail | ||
source: Department for Transport |
This year’s rail sale returns after more than 600,000 tickets were sold in last year’s sale, worth £5.1 million in ticket sales for the industry and resulted in an extra 440,000 journeys taken by train.
This comes on the 200th anniversary of the first steam-powered passenger train with celebrations expected throughout the year as part of Railway 200. This will honour Britain’s heritage as the birthplace of the modern railway and recognise the role rail continues to play in forming critical infrastructure and boosting local economies throughout the country.
Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive of Rail Delivery Group, said: "This year, as we celebrate 200 years of railways in the UK, we’re reminded that rail travel is about much more than simply getting from A to B – it’s about bringing people, communities and opportunities together.
"Over 2 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 2 million discounted advance fares starting on 14 January 2025, which is a great way to save on your travel and celebrate 200 years of railway connections."
[Tickets provided by Trainline, rail sale discounts available only from Tuesday 14th January 2025. Discounts vary, terms apply]
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