Major train firm has a flash sale on rail tickets – and prices start from 50p

A MAJOR train operator has launched a flash sale on rail tickets and prices start from 50p.

Five million slashed tickets are up for grabs for travel up to March.

Northern has announced a flash sale of tickets for travel across the North of England.

One million 50p tickets, three million £1 tickets and one million £1.50 tickets are up for grabs from today (Tuesday, January 10).

The sale runs until 4pm on Friday, January 13 and tickets are valid for travel between Tuesday, January 17 and Friday, March 10 on Northern services only.

Travellers will be able to save more of their hard-earned cash on trips between Sheffield and Doncaster, Newcastle and Carlisle and Bolton and Manchester.

But some commuters will miss out on the savings as Northern isn't slashing the prices of tickets on certain routes including services between Leeds and Manchester and Manchester to Liverpool.

To book these tickets and find out which routes are part of the sale you'll need to visit the Northern Railway website.

The sale comes before commuters will be forced to pay up to 5.9% more when rail fares rise in March.

Fares will officially rise on March 5, 2023.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: "This is our biggest ever Flash Sale – with 50p, £1 and £1.50 fares available across all parts of our network.

"We know our customers travel for a multitude of reasons – so our hope is this sale will make five million of them – be they for days out, weekends away or catch-ups with friends - that bit more affordable.

"Customers should book early to avoid disappointment. Once they’re gone, they’re gone."

Northern Trains, the previous operator of the Northern franchise was nationalised by the Department for Transport (DfT) back in March 2020.

The DfT's Operator of Last Resort (OLR) has been in charge of running the Northern franchise ever since.

The move came after Northern Rail was voted the worst train company in the country.

Northern is now the UK's second latest train operator, with nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.

How else can I cut my rail fares?

Regular passengers may be able to cut the cost of standard anytime, off-peak, advance and first-class advance tickets by up to a third with a railcard.

You can buy these through National Rail but you'll need to pay a fee.

That said, if you regularly travel by train, you'll make up this cost in no time.

Cards for those aged 16-25 cost £30 a year, or £70 for a three-year card.

Don’t pay over the odds for tickets and remember to compare prices before you buy.

Ticket firms usually start selling fares around 12 weeks in advance.

This is when Network Rail releases its timetable.

The earlier you book, the less you'll pay for your seat so get organised if you know you're going to be travelling over the next few months.

First, check the National Rail website, which is a great way to get an overview of routes and travel times.

Then check the train operating companies' website or Trainline to see if cheaper fares are available.

But sites like Trainline will usually charge you to make a booking — between 25p and £1.50 — so factor that into your savings.