More than 3 million train ticket prices slashed today in Great British Rail Sale | Personal Finance | Finance
Millions of train ticket prices have been slashed in today’s Great British Rail Sale, offering savings of over 50%. The sale will run from January 6 to January 12, 2026, offering bargains on advance and off-peak tickets.
The reduced fares are available to use between January 13 and March 25, 2026. Nearly all train operators are taking part, offering savings on routes across Britain. The offer comes after the UK Government has frozen rail fares for the first time in 30 years. Examples of discounted routes include £10 journeys from Portsmouth to London Waterloo – with a 59% discount – and airport journey savings from Manchester Picadilly to Manchester Airport, reduced from £2.90 to £1.20.
The Government will also be establishing Great British Railways (GBR) – a new nationalised organisation to run the railway, bringing 17 different organisations under a single directing mind.
This is the fourth year of the Rail Sale, with last year’s sale saving train passengers around £8 per journey. Last year, more than one million tickets were sold, raking in over £9 million in ticket sale revenue for the industry.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said that the hope with reducing rail fares is to “help ease the cost of living”.
She said: “We all want to see cheaper rail travel, so whether you’re planning a half-term getaway, or visiting friends or family, this sale offers huge reductions.
“It’s all part of our plans to build a railway owned by the public, that works for the public.”
Key discounts are available for passengers travelling from Exeter to London Waterloo, with ticket prices dropping from £41.70 to £10.00, representing a 76% price cut. Other major discounts include Newcastle to Middlesbrough and Bolton to Manchester Picadilly, where customers can save 62% and 60%, with prices falling from £5.20 to £2.00 and £2.50 to £1.00, respectively.
Other major discounts are available for trains from Portsmouth to London Waterloo, with a 59% reduction from £24.60 to £10.00. Journeys from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport offer the same savings, with prices dropping from £2.90 to £1.20.
More discounted journeys include Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western, where passengers can save as much as 57% on their tickets. Fares for this route will drop from £3.70 to £1.60, while journeys from Blackpool North to Manchester Piccadilly will reduce from £7.90 to £3.50.
Charing Cross to Tunbridge Wells tickets are on sale with prices dropping from £8.10 to £4.00.
The prices for several journeys will drop by 50%, including those from St Pancras to Whitstable, falling from £15.10 to £7.50. St Pancras to Canterbury will drop from £16.20 to £8.10, and London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street will fall from £14 to £7.00.
Other half-price journeys include Nottingham and Sheffield to London Terminals, falling from £46.00 to £23.00 and £51.00 to £25.50. Trains from Ashford International to Ramsgate are also half off, with £5.40 tickets falling to £2.70.
Visit the National Rail website to see the full list of price reductions.
