Manchester beats York and Leeds to be most popular route in huge 'Rail Sale'
London Euston to Manchester was the top journey among train passengers during this year’s Rail Sale, figures released from the Department of Transport show. More than 2million rail tickets went on sale from January 14 to January 2025, with some fares discounted by up to 50 per cent for travel between January 17 and March 31 2025. Data shared by the Department of Transport shows that 1.01million discounted trips were bought in the Rail Sale, bringing in £8.73m in gross sales. This is over a 70 per cent increase on last year’s sale. Journeys involving London were the most popular routes in the sale, but Manchester beat other northern destinations York and Leeds to bag the top spot.
Just over 1million discounted trips were bough during the rail sale
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Approximately 18,000 tickets were purchased for London Euston to Manchester. Around 12,000 tickets were bought for London Kings Cross to York. Two routes in the south were the next most popular: Canterbury West to London Bridge and Cambridge to London Bridge, both selling around 11,000 each. Meanwhile approximately 9,000 tickets were bought between London Kings Cross and Leeds. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “This Rail Sale was the biggest one yet with millions of pounds saved by passengers, putting more money back in people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change. “This was about getting people back on the railways and supporting growth across the UK, and with nearly twice as many tickets sold as last year that’s exactly what it’s done. “Initiatives like this mean more people can experience the wonderful things that Manchester has to offer.” In last year’s sale 600,000 tickets were sold, worth £5.1 million in ticket sales for the industry and resulted in an extra 440,000 journeys taken by train. This year's Rail Sale comes as 2025 is the 200th anniversary of the first steam-powered passenger train, with celebrations expected through the year to mark Railway 200. For more of the latest What's On news, click here.
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