Great British Rail fare sale: Government confirms cheaper tickets

A government initiative is set to launch next week, offering over two million train tickets at discounted prices. This promotion will run for a week, starting on Tuesday, and will cover travel across Britain between January 17th and March 31st, with advance booking and off-peak tickets being reduced by up to half.

The Department for Transport (DfT) stated that a similar promotion last year saw passengers save approximately £5.8 million, with over 600,000 tickets sold. The DfT has tasked rail companies to “run a bigger promotion.” While this promotion offers potential savings for some passengers, it also comes less than two months after a 4.6% rise in train fares on hundreds of routes, creating a somewhat contradictory situation.

The number of discounted tickets is limited, but passengers who manage to purchase them will make significant savings. For example, according to the DfT, a journey from London to Newcastle will drop from £52.10 to £23.60. A trip from Nottingham to Manchester will cost £9.20, and a journey from Glasgow to Inverness will be priced at £14.10. These discounts apply only to advance booking tickets that must be used on specific services.

Most rail operators are participating in the promotion, with the exceptions of Hull Trains, Lumo, and Merseyrail. The promotion coincides with a 4.6% increase in regulated train fares in England [set to take effect from March 2nd], and a £5 rise in the cost of most railcards. Unregulated fare increases are decided by rail operators, but typically follow a similar pattern. Approximately 45% of rail fares in England, Wales, and Scotland are regulated by the government, but this price increase is limited to travel in England.

No announcements regarding fare increases have been made by the Scottish or Welsh governments. In October, the Campaign for Better Transport group stated that increasing rail fares above inflation and adding to the cost of railcards was a "kick in the teeth" for people who rely on public transport.