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Massive UK rail sale offers £10 journeys and deals on 4,000,000 tickets

Published 12:53 1 Jan 2026 GMT

Updated 13:03 1 Jan 2026 GMT

Erin McLaughlin
Massive UK rail sale offers £10 journeys and deals on 4,000,000 tickets

Homenews

The Department for Transport has announced a huge flash sale

If you're planning a train trip in the UK any time soon, you may want to hold off until January 6.

The Department for Transport has announced a huge flash sale which starts next week, with over four million discounted tickets available.

Almost every UK train operator is taking part, with ticket prices reduced by 50% to 70%.

Tickets go on sale from January 6 for seven days and are valid for rail travel between January 13 and March 25.

The flash sale comes after it was announced that the government would freeze rail fares for the first time in 30 years in hopes of helping with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Aimed at encouraging Brits to travel by rail, the 2024 sale saved passengers around £5.8 million and prompted roughly 70,000 adults who had not used trains since the pandemic to book a journey.

However, this time around, there will be even more discounts on popular routes.

Now, a ticket from St Pancras to Whitstable, which would typically cost £15.10, will now only set you back £7.50.

A trip from Exeter to Waterloo will only cost you £10, compared to the usual price of £41.70.

Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, said about the sale: "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.

"It’s all part of our plans to build a railway owned by the public, that works for the public."

The plans also include major reforms to Britain’s rail services, with the government creating Great British Railways (GBR), a new nationalised body to oversee 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."

Example fares

St Pancras to Whitstable

  • Full price: £15.10 
  • Sale price: £7.50

Exeter to Waterloo

  • Full price: £41.70
  • Sale price: £10.00

Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport

  • Full price: £2.90
  • Sale price: £1.20

Blackpool North to Manchester Piccadilly

  • Full price: £7.90
  • Sale price: £3.50

Newcastle to Middlesbrough

  • Full price: £5.20
  • Sale price: £2.00

Portsmouth to London Waterloo

  • Full price: £24.60
  • Sale price: £10.00

Nottingham to London Terminals

  • Full price: £46.00
  • Sale price: £23.00

Sheffield to London Terminals

  • Full price: £51.00
  • Sale price: £25.50

Charring Cross to Tunbridge Wells

  • Full price: £8.10
  • Sale price: £4.00

Ashford International to Ramsgate

  • Full price: £5.40
  • Sale price: £2.70

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