The Great British Rail Sale has begun!

If you can plan your rail travels in advance, you might want to get on the latest government’s annual rail sale.

You’ll be able to purchase advance train tickets for half price between 14 to 20 January 2025 for travel between 17 January and 31 March 2025. This will be for selected advance and off-peak fares.

Most rail operators are taking part in this offer in the United Kingdom, including Transport for Wales and ScotRail. Note, that services offered by Hull Trains, Lumo and Merseyrail will not take part in the same.

Last year’s sale saved passengers an estimated £ 5.8 million, thus this year, the government has tasked the industry to deliver even bigger savings to the passengers, along with more tickets

Some sample fares provided include:

Tickets are limited, so you’ll need to jump on these reasonably quickly if you want a discounted ticket.

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.

In Quotes

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.

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.

Purchasing Tickets

For a first step, head to The Great British Rail Sale site at https://greatbritishrailsale.nationalrail.co.uk/, where the terms and conditions reside. Four of the terms and conditions do stand out:

• Rail Sale tickets must be purchased at least 3-7 days in advance of the date of travel. This varies per operator.
• The number of Rail Sale Tickets offered by each participating Train Company will vary and are limited in number.
• Tickets are not available on all routes and at some peak times and are not offered by all Train Companies.
• Railcard discounts do not apply to Rail Sale Tickets, and no other discounts can be used in conjunction with the Rail Sale Tickets.

You can also use your favourite ticket vendor (eg Uber, The TrainLine or the train company itself) to get your bargain tickets.

The kicker is coming in March, however…

Whilst it is great to see reduced rail travel prices as a motivator for people to travel (and I’m of the opinion that I’ll catch a train over taking the car any day of the week), there is a kicker in the next few months, with fare rises of regulated fares by 4.6% expected to go into effect from the 3rd March.

Whilst this rise normally manages regulated fares (such as peak tickets and season tickets), its normally when train operators will take the opportunity to increase fares on their discounted ranges too.

What is given with one hand, is taken by the other…

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