Great British Rail Sale 2026 - now ended

Train operating companies are working together to offer up to 50% off selected Advance or Off-Peak tickets on over 3 million journeys. The discounted fares will be available from participating train operating companies and ticket retailers. Where a participating train company doesn't offer Advance tickets, Off-Peak tickets may be offered as an alternative.

Great British Rail Sale tickets are available on a wide selection of routes across England, Wales and Scotland. Click here to find out which routes are available.

The following train operating companies will be offering discounted tickets as part of the Great British Rail Sale: Avanti West Coast, C2C, Chiltern, Cross Country, East Midlands Railway, Govia Thameslink Railway, Grand Central, Great Northern, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, London Northwestern Railway, London North Eastern Railway, Northern, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales, and West Midlands Railway.

Great British Rail Sale tickets will go on sale from 00:01 Tuesday 6 January to Monday 12 January 2026. Tickets can be purchased for travel between Friday 13 January and Wednesday 25 March 2026. Tickets must be purchased at least 3-7 days prior to travel, this varies by operator.

Tickets must be purchased at least 3-7 days prior to travel, but will vary by operator. Check with your specific train operator for further details.

The 50% discount will be available on selected Advance tickets on LNR services.

Where a participating train company does not offer Advance tickets, Off-Peak tickets may be offered as an alternative. Customers should visit the National Rail website to see what discounts are available for the location they wish to visit.

View our Best Fares table above to see what tickets are available on our network. For tickets for other operators, visit the National Rail website . Tickets are limited and subject to availability.

Over 3 million Great British Rail Sale tickets will be on sale between Tuesday 6 January to Monday 12 January 2026 for travel between Tuesday 13 January and Wednesday 25 March 2026.

You must buy them in advance. Great British Rail Sale tickets must be purchased at least 3-7 days prior to travel, but varies by operator.

On some train operators you may be able to pay for a First Class upgrade. Please check the terms and conditions on your train company's website for more information.

Please note that LNR services do not have First Class upgrade options.

You must use your Great British Rail Sale tickets on the train services shown on the ticket or for the journey you booked.

You can buy as many as you want. The tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Yes, your ticket can be used for whatever journey purpose you wish, but you are only able to travel on the date and train shown on your ticket or for the journey you booked and tickets need to be booked 3-7 days in advance.

No, there is no additional discount available with Railcard.

Great British Rail Sale tickets are not available on all routes. Tickets are subject to availability so act quickly because when they’re gone, they’re gone.

Yes. Children under 5 go free and children 5-15 are eligible for a further 50% off.

If the train you purchased a ticket for is cancelled or delayed and you still decide to travel, special arrangements will be made to accommodate you on another train (although a seat cannot be guaranteed). If you choose not to travel, normal refund policy applies. Please contact your train company or where the ticket was purchased for more information.

Great British Rail Sale tickets may be issued with reservation tickets which must be carried when travelling. If the train company does not offer seat reservations on the train you are travelling on, your ticket will specify the date and time of travel. In these cases, you may sit in any available seat on the specified train, appropriate to the class of your ticket.

Please note that seat reservations are not applicable on LNR journeys.

Yes, there are some tickets available on services people use to commute to work. To ensure customers have the best possible experience when they travel by train, discounts have been made available on trains and routes that have more capacity.

Visit the National Rail website to find out all routes available, then select 'buy' to head over to a ticket retailer and check the availability for your journey.

The Rail Sale is mainly available online from ticket retailers and train companies operating in England. Tickets can be purchased on our website or via our app. Visit the National Rail website to find out which routes are available.

If you would prefer to buy your ticket at a ticket office or require assistance from station staff, please contact the train company you’re travelling with to find out the purchasing options available.

You can find details on how to contact LNR here.

Great British Rail Sale tickets are valid only for the date and train shown on your ticket or for the journey you booked and are non-refundable unless you are unable to travel due to a delay or cancellation.

You can, however, change the time or date of your journey any time before your first reserved train departs via the train operating company or ticket retailer you purchased your ticket from. Any difference in fare and an administration fee will be payable prior to travel.

There are some Return tickets available, but most Great British Rail Sale tickets are Single tickets. If you wish to make a there and back journey, you can search for a Single ticket for each leg of your journey.

Customers can apply for Delay Repay in times of disruption when their journeys have been delayed to the extent that they become eligible to do so. You can find information on Delay Repay here.

Great British Rail Sale tickets are not refundable unless the service you are booked to travel on is delayed or cancelled.

Yes, your ticket can be used for whatever journey purpose you wish, but you are only able to travel on the date and train shown on your ticket or for the journey you booked and tickets need to be booked 3-7 days in advance.