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You’ll have one week to snap up the fares (Picture: Getty Images)
If you’re thinking about booking a train journey, drop everything and do it today.
That’s because the Department for Transport has announced a huge flash sale – the Great British Rail Sale – starting today (Tuesday, January 6), with more than four million discounted tickets available.
Almost all UK train operators are taking part, with deals ranging from 50% to 70% off.
The discounts, which go live this morning and last for seven days, apply exclusively to journeys between January 13 and March 25.
The sale comes after the government announced it would freeze rail fares for the first time in 30 years to help with the cost of living crisis.
Designed to encourage Brits to travel by rail, the 2024 sale saved passengers around £5.8 million in total, and encouraged approximately 70,000 adults who had not travelled by train since Covid to book a rail journey.
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Discounts range from 50-70% (Picture: Getty Images)
This time, however, there’s set to be even more discounts on thousands of popular routes.
Fancy a trip to the coast for some winter sun? A ticket from St Pancras to Whitstable, which would typically cost £15.10, will now only set you back only £7.50.
Or maybe you fancy leaving the rolling hills of Devon behind and going to see the new Paddington The Musical in London? Well, move swiftly, because for a limited time a fare from Exeter to Waterloo will cost you only £10, compared to the usual price of £41.70 – that’s a 76% discount.
Speaking on the sale, Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, stated: ‘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.
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‘It’s all part of our plans to build a railway owned by the public, that works for the public.’
These plans also include major reform to Britain’s rail services, with the government establishing the Great British Railways (GBR) – a new, nationalised organisation to run the railway.
According to recent government reports: ‘GBR will bring together 17 different organisations under a single directing mind, cutting through bureaucracy to deliver a rail network that passengers can rely on and be proud of.’
Metro's top picks of discounted faresSt Pancras to Whitstable
Full price: £15.10 Sale price: £7.50Exeter to Waterloo
Full price: £41.70 Sale price: £10.00Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport
Full price: £2.90 Sale price: £1.20Blackpool North to Manchester Piccadilly
Full price: £7.90 Sale price: £3.50Newcastle to Middlesbrough
Full price: £5.20 Sale price: £2.00Portsmouth to London Waterloo
Full price: £24.60 Sale price: £10.00Nottingham to London Terminals
Full price: £46.00 Sale price: £23.00Sheffield to London Terminals
Full price: £51.00 Sale price: £25.50Charring Cross to Tunbridge Wells
Full price: £8.10 Sale price: £4.00Ashford International to Ramsgate
Full price: £5.40 Sale price: £2.70Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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