Great British Rail Sale: full list of train companies offering discounts of up to 50
RAIL fares will be HALVED this spring as the Government tries to tackle the cost of living crisis.
The cheaper travel will be available through the end of April and throughout May.
The "Great British Rail Sale", as it's been named, is set to discount more than a million fares between April 25 and May 27 this year.
The Department for Transport is hoping the move will help hard-up households, who are facing rising bills and soaring inflation, to afford trips across the UK.
The tickets will be available to buy from today, but the reduced rates will be from journeys taking place from next Monday, April 25.
Many of the train operators taking part in the scheme are only offering the discounts on off-peak travel, but you should check with your train company.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
For example, London North Easter Railway (LNER) said it had some availability for peak fares for those travelling between Monday and Thursday.
But with prices slashed by up to 50%, the sale could bring some Manchester to Newcastle journeys down to a little over £10.
And seats on some London to Edinburgh services will be slashed from £44 to £22.
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."
Most read in Money
The discounted tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis so you'll need to be quick to cash-in on the offer.
How can I get the sale tickets and how much will I save?
You can buy the cheaper tickets from around 10am online today at the dedicated "" website.
Examples of how much you can save include a single ticket from York to Leeds slashed to £2.80 from £5.60, and a fare from London to Cardiff tickets cut from £47 to £25.
And travellers going from Portsmouth Harbour to Penzance could see their fares go down to £22 from £45.70.
It's thought that as many as 80% of the tickets that go on sale will be half their usual price.
Most train operators will be taking part in the sale. Here is the full list of operators participating:
- Southeastern
- London North Eastern Railway
- Avanti West Coast
- Greater Anglia
- South Western Railway
- Great Western Railway
- Northern,
- C2C
- Chiltern
- London Northwestern Railway.
- Cross Country
- East Midlands Railway
- West Midlands Railway
- Southern
- Thameslink
- Great Northern
- TransPennine Express
- Hull Trains
- Grand Central
The scheme does not cover Welsh and Scottish operators.
How else can I save on rail journeys?
If you're not eligible for the discounted tickets, or you're simply looking for other ways to cut costs while travelling by train, there are other ways to save on your fare.
Sometimes it pays to be early - you can get cheaper rail fares by booking your tickets up to 12 weeks in advance.
But remember to check the small print, as these tickets may be restricted to a particular train and could be non-refundable.
And a railcard goes a long way too - this can be used on top of the sale prices if you want to further reduce the price of your journey.
A one-year Family & Friends card, or a 16-25 card, and more, cost around £30, but they each save you a third- off travel.
Often you can save by “splitting” your ticket too.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
This means breaking one long journey into a series of shorter ones along the route.
Or ditch the train altogether and go for the slower but cheaper option of a coach - A trip from London to Manchester by Megabus starts from £5.99 for example.
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team?
Email us at [email protected]