Discounted rail ticket prices will apply to journeys between 30 January and 15 March 2024 across England and Wales.
Passengers will have from 23 to 29 January 2024 to claim up to 50% off selected advance and off-peak rail tickets, through the Great British Rail Sale.
Over a million discounted tickets will be available to destinations across England and Wales, as well as on cross-border trips into Scotland, for journeys taking place between 30 January and 15 March 2024.
Whether it’s a city break, family holiday or countryside escape, passengers are encouraged to make the most of this sale to get to popular destinations across the country.
Popular journeys passengers could claim savings* on tickets for include:
| Route | Standard price | Sale price |
|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth to Penzance | £43 | £21 |
| Birmingham to Bristol | £30.60 | £15.30 |
| Manchester to Leeds | £8.60 | £4.30 |
| Leicester to Sheffield | £7.30 | £3.60 |
The government is committed to helping families with the cost of living, and working with industry to offer up to half-price rail tickets will not only boost tourism and encourage sustainable travel but also help connect friends and families across the UK.
This follows a significant intervention to cap this year’s rail fare increase at 4.9%, considerably below the 9% July’s retail price index (RPI) figure on which they are historically based.
This comes as the government delivered its commitment to halve inflation by the end of last year – helping to keep travel costs lower in the long term.
The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) estimate that the first Great British Rail Sale in 2022 saw passengers save around £7 million on rail tickets and encouraged around 70,000 adults who had not travelled by train since the COVID-19 pandemic to take a trip.**
The government and industry are, therefore, launching a second Great British Rail Sale to save passengers money and get more people using our railways.
The Great British Rail Sale is just one way the government is seeking to improve rail passengers’ experience, with London North Eastern Railway (LNER) launching a pilot scheme for simpler fares earlier this week, removing the complex web of ticket types and replacing them with options that are simpler, more flexible and better suit passengers’ needs.
Sale tickets will start to become available from midnight on 23 January 2024. The Rail Delivery Group will host a central webpage, helping customers find the best deals. Tickets can also be found on all ticket retailer websites for journeys taking place between 30 January and 15 March 2024. Only a limited number of tickets are available, and no further sale tickets will go on offer once sold out.***
Operators are not offering sale tickets on days when their services might be impacted by the strikes announced by ASLEF on 15 and 18 January 2024.