TRAIN passengers will have from January 23 to 29 to claim up to 50 per cent off selected Advance and Off-Peak rail tickets, through the Great British Rail sale. 

One journey passengers could claim savings on include tickets from Portsmouth to Penzance, which was £43 and now is £21. 

Whether it’s a city break, family holiday or countryside escape, passengers are encouraged to make the most of this sale to get to popular destinations across the country. 

There will be over a million discounted tickets available to destinations across England and Wales, as well as on cross-border trips into Scotland, for journeys taking place between January 30 and March 15. 

The government is wanting to help families with the cost of living, and working with industry to offer up to half price rail tickets will not only boost tourism and encourage sustainable travel, but also help connect friends and families across the UK. 

This follows a significant intervention to cap this year’s rail fare increase at 4.9 per cent, considerably below the nine per cent July’s retail price index figure on which they are historically based.  

Transport secretary Mark Harper said: “The return of the Great British Rail Sale is good news for passengers, following the success of the previous sale which saw passengers benefit from around £7-million in savings on their travel costs. 

“With discounts on more than a million tickets, there'll be plenty of opportunity to connect with friends and family and explore great destinations across the country – I hope passengers make the most of this sale and choose to travel by rail." 

The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) estimate that the first Great British Rail Sale in 2022 saw passengers save around £7-million on rail tickets and encouraged around 70,000 adults who hadn’t travelled by train since the pandemic to take a trip. 

The Great British Rail Sale is just one way the government is seeking to improve rail passengers' experience, with LNER launching a pilot scheme for Simpler Fares earlier this week, removing the complex web of ticket types and replacing them with options that are simpler, more flexible and better suit passengers’ needs. 

Sale tickets will start to become available from midnight on Tuesday, January 23.  

The Rail Delivery Group will host a central webpage helping customers find the best deals, and tickets can also be found on all ticket retailer websites, for journeys taking place between January 30 and March 15.  

Only a limited number of tickets are available, and no further sale tickets will go on offer once sold out.