Over one million half price rail tickets in first ever Great British Rail Sale

  • government and rail industry launches nation’s biggest ever rail sale cutting travel costs
  • passengers can get their ‘next trip at a snip’ with savings of up to 50%
  • more than one million discounted tickets will help connect friends and families, boost UK tourism and encourage green travel across the country

Over one million rail tickets will be slashed by up to 50% as the government and rail industry launch the first-of-its-kind Great British Rail Sale.

The public is encouraged to take advantage of this unprecedented sale, which sees for the first time multiple operators come together to offer nationwide savings.

Savings on offer for off-peak tickets include:

  • York to Leeds: was £5.60, now £2.80
  • London to Edinburgh: was £44, now £22
  • London to Cardiff: was £47, now £25
  • Wolverhampton to Liverpool: was £10.50, now £5.25
  • Manchester to Newcastle: was £20.60, now £10.30
  • Birmingham New Street to Bristol Temple Meads: was £25.30, now £12.60
  • Portsmouth Harbour to Penzance was £45.70, now £22.00

Cutting the cost of rail travel will help ease some of the pressure on family finances at a time when inflation is rising around the world.

It will also encourage people to visit different places, connect with friends and loved ones, and get out and about around the country.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

For the first time ever, operators across the rail industry are coming together to help passengers facing rising costs of living by offering up to 50% off more than a million tickets on journeys across Britain.

There’s no better time to visit friends, family or just explore our great country, so book your tickets today.

Jacqueline Starr, CEO of the Rail Delivery Group, said:

We want everyone to be able to benefit from travelling by train because it’s more than just a journey, it’s a way to connect everyone to the people, places and things they love.

As part of the Great British Rail Sale customers will enjoy over one million discounted tickets, so they can explore some of the fantastic locations that are accessible by rail.

Tickets can be purchased online from participating retailers with the up to half-price rate applying to a huge range of off-peak tickets spreading the length and breadth of the country.

Tickets go on sale from 19 April with discounted tickets available on journeys from 25 April to 27 May.

The government is listening to people’s concerns about rising costs, and is taking action worth more than £22 billion in 2022-23 alone – which includes support with the cost of energy bills and to help to ensure people keep more of their money. Offering half-price rail tickets is one of the ways the government is further supporting families with the cost of living.

Reforms to the rail sector through the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail mean that network-wide sales of tickets can occur more easily in the future.