Millions of train tickets will be discounted from next week in a sale announced by the Department for Transport (DfT)

More than two million train tickets will be on offer during the promotion.

Cheaper Advance and Off-Peak tickets will be available to buy in the rail sale between 14–20 January. (not today!)

They will be sold for travel across Britain between 17 January and the end of March.

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.

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 27 September 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 2 March.

• rail sale returns with more discounted tickets than ever before
• offers on thousands of popular routes across UK to encourage more people to travel by train
• comes as government continues biggest overhaul of the railways in a generation putting passengers at the heart of services

Next week, passengers will be able to get their hands on millions of train tickets at half the price as part of the government’s annual rail sale.

From 14 to 20 January 2025, selected advance and off-peak fares will go on sale at up to 50% off for travel between 17 January and 31 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.

These offers will not last long and there are only a limited number of tickets, so passengers are being encouraged to snap up these deals quickly if they want to save more on their train fares.

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.

Whether it is connecting with family, friends and loved ones or getting out to explore more of Great Britain, passengers can find thousands of journeys at up to half price.

The railways play a vital role in connecting people and businesses across the UK, providing opportunities through essential links to jobs and education. Getting more people moving on our rail network is a key part of the government’s mission to build strong foundations through fuelling economic growth.

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.

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!

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.

Rail remains one of the quickest and greenest ways to travel, with the government committed to getting more people onto the railways, cutting carbon emissions and freeing up vital space on our roads for emergency services and freight.

To encourage more people onto the railways, the government is undertaking the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation through the creation of Great British Railways, which will bring track and train together under one directing mind with a relentless focus on improving services for passengers and customers.

As part of this, the Public Ownership Bill recently became legislation, delivering on a manifesto commitment and allowing the government to get on with improving services by clamping down on unacceptable levels of delays, cancellations and waste under decades of failing franchise contracts.

It will save up to £150 million a year in fees alone by ensuring every penny is spent on services rather than private shareholders, all while coming at no additional cost to the taxpayer.

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
Leeds to Manchester Airport     £5.90      £11.90
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
*Journeys on ScotRail only
Glasgow to Inverness*                £14.10       £28.10
*Journeys on ScotRail only
Preston to Edinburgh                     £8.40         £16.80
London to Newcastle                     £23.60       £52.10