50% off millions of train tickets from today

The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched its annual ‘Great British Rail Sale’ – a week-long sale with huge savings on rail tickets.

Rail passengers can bag over a million discounted tickets – some at 50% off – to destinations across England and Wales, as well as cross-border trips into Scotland.

You can use the cheap tickets for all kinds of trips from city breaks to family holidays, catching up with friends or countryside escapes.

Both Advance and Off-Peak tickets are available in the sale. But it’s worth remembering, while Advance tickets might be the cheapest option, they must be used on specific trains.

Savings include an Advance single ticket from Birmingham to Bristol down from £30.60 to £15.30. And you could get from Manchester to Leeds for £4.30 instead of £8.60, while an Advance journey from Leicester to Sheffield will only set you back £3.60 instead of £7.30.

Rail passengers will have to be quick if they want to grab a bargain, as the sale only lasts for one week only starting today (23 January) and finishing on 29 January. And once the tickets are gone, they’re gone. The DfT won’t be releasing any more.

Passengers can buy the discounted tickets online as well as at station ticket offices and they’re valid for travel between 30 January and 15 March.

Mark Harper, Transport Secretary, said: “The return of the Great British Rail Sale is good news for passengers, following the success of the previous sale which saw passengers benefit from around £7 million in savings on their travel costs.

“With discounts on more than a million tickets, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to connect with friends and family and explore great destinations across the country – I hope passengers make the most of this sale and choose to travel by rail.