The Boxing Day sales might be (mostly) over but, if you love travelling by train, something even better is about to begin: the Great British Rail Sale.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no secret that train tickets in this country are pricey, but for one glorious week every year millions of them go on sale, meaning that you can book a trip for\u00a0a fraction of the price you\u2019d usually pay. This year, more than three million tickets across almost every rail company in the country are being discounted.<\/p>\n
It comes after the government announced in November that rail fares would be frozen until 2027<\/a>. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said that \u2018it\u2019s all part of our plans to build a railway owned by the public, that works for the public\u2019.<\/p>\n The sale begins on January 6. You\u2019ll be able to discover the full range of cut-price trips on rail companies\u2019 websites, or third-party booking services like Trainline, next week, but for now here\u2019s everything you need to know ahead of the 2026 Great British Rail Sale.<\/p>\n When is the Great British Rail Sale 2026?<\/p>\n This year, the sale is happening slightly earlier than it has previously, starting on January 6 and running until January 12. The discounted tickets will be available for travel between January 13 and March 25.<\/p>\n What are the cheapest tickets<\/p>\n The exact amount of money off varies between routes and companies, with most journeys being around half price; but certain routes will be as much as 70 percent cheaper than normal. For example, tickets to London Waterloo from Exeter will be down to \u00a310 from \u00a341.70 \u2013 a 76 percent drop.<\/p>\n The cheapest ticket in the sale, however, is probably Manchester Piccadilly to Bolton, which is down to just \u00a31.<\/p>\n Generally, peak fares will remain the same and sale prices will be available for off-peak or advance tickets. You cannot use your railcard in conjunction with the Great British Rail Sale offers.<\/p>\n Best ticket deals to buy<\/p>\n Here are some of the best deals available in the Great British Rail Sale, including busy commuter lines and routes between some of the nation\u2019s biggest cities:<\/p>\n Inter-city journeys Commuter routes Did you see that five abandoned train stations in England are being brought back to life<\/a>?<\/p>\n Plus:\u00a0Manchester\u2019s Bee Network is getting its first trains in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n
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\nNewcastle to Middlesbrough: \u00a32 (was \u00a35.20)
\nNottingham to London: \u00a323 (was \u00a346)
\nSheffield to London: \u00a325.50 (was \u00a351)
\nLondon Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street: \u00a37 (was \u00a314)
\nPortsmouth to London Waterloo: \u00a310 (was \u00a324.60)
\nExeter to London Waterloo: \u00a310 (was \u00a341.70)
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\nLondon Charing Cross to Tunbridge Wells: \u00a34 (was \u00a38.10)
\nManchester Piccadilly to Bolton: \u00a31 (was \u00a32.50)
\nManchester Picadilly to Manchester airport: \u00a31.90 (was \u00a32.90)
\nLiverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western: \u00a31.60 (was \u00a33.70)
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