“More discounted tickets than ever before”: that is the government’s promise as the 2025 Rail Sale gets under way. It offers cut-price rail fares on many journeys between now and the end of May 2025.
Ministers say discounts on “selected Advance and Off-peak tickets” are up to 50 per cent. The Independent has found some examples that are even better than half price, such as Sheffield to Leicester for just £3.80 and Manchester to London (on slower trains) for £7.
The aim is to stimulate more journeys and therefore increase revenue. The government says last year’s Rail Sale stimulated an extra 440,000 journeys. Many buyers, though, will have made the journey anyway and are simply saving money.
These are the key questions and answers about the Rail Sale.
What sort of tickets are included?
Almost all of the promised two-million-plus available tickets are Advance fares for longer journeys. These require committing ahead to a specific train. While normally Advance fares increase in line with demand, the Rail Sale involves a set number of tickets at a fixed price; once they’re gone, they’re gone. Where a participating train company does not offer Advance tickets, Off-peak fares may be offered as an alternative.
Most tickets do not qualify, including Anytime, the vast majority of Off-peaks (except in a few cases), seasons and flexi-seasons.
How do I book?
In theory you can go to a station, but in practice almost everyone will book online. You can go through individual train operators’ websites. Booking direct with the operator, which makes things easier if there is a problem with the journey and may qualify for a loyalty bonus, eg LNER Perks. Alternatively you could go through retailers – though note that you will pay an unnecessary fee at Trainline (typically 4 per cent). It will, though, offer “split tickets” to provide extra savings if appropriate.
Note that the official Rail Sale portal will quote fares but then direct you to a range of retailers. Better to go direct.
When must I book to benefit?
For most Rail Sale tickets, you must book at least a week ahead of your planned journey, though some operators have a minimum of just three days). The sale lasts until midnight on Monday 20 January.
Can I use first class? On some operators. Premiums vary from 50 to 150 per cent (the latter particularly on LNER on the East Coast main line, which provides generous food and drink).
Some examples of prices?
GWR, linking South Wales and the West of England, is selling Cardiff to London Paddington tickets for £28 one-way in standard class, £44 in first. Bristol to/from London is £21 (standard) or £40 (first).
Avanti West Coast, which runs trains from London Euston to the West Midlands via northwest England and Scotland, is selling standard class tickets to or from the capital at these prices:
- Glasgow Central £31
- Manchester Piccadilly £28
- Birmingham £11.50
On the East Coast main line, which connects London King’s Cross with Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland, LNER has these offers to and from London:
- Leeds £17.85 (standard), £44.20 (first)
- Newcastle £23.60 (standard), £52.15 (first)
- Edinburgh £26.15 (standard), £56.90 (first)
Some extremely low fares are available if you do not mind taking longer for your journey and possibly changing trains. For example, from Birmingham to London is just £4.50 on London Northwestern Railway. If you combine this operator with Transport for Wales (changing at Crewe), Manchester Piccadilly to Euston is just £7.
From Portsmouth to London is only £3.50 on Southern’s longer journey via Gatwick airport, rather than the fast South Western Railway journey (£9).
Many journeys not involving London are available, including:
- Inverness-Glasgow £14.10
- Holyhead-Cardiff £32 (standard), £48 (first)
- Liverpool-Hull £9.90
- Manchester-Reading £24.10 (standard), £63 (first)
- Sheffield-Leicester £3.80
- Dover-Tonbridge £4.80
- Norwich-Colchester £4
Will my travel plans be wrecked again by strikes?
Only on the West Coast main line, if you are using Avanti West Coast and it is a Sunday. Train managers for the intercity operator are striking every Sunday until June over demands for higher rest-day working pay.
But unlike the 2024 edition of the Rail Sale, national rail strikes are no longer a threat.
Do railcard or child discounts apply?
Railcard discounts do not apply. But children aged 5-15 travel half-price.
How quick should I buy?
As soon as you can. Two million tickets may sound like a large number, but compared with the usual numbers of rail journeys made in a 73-day spell (more than 320 million) it is tiny.
Many trains are selling out of cheap tickets already.
