TRANSPORT campaigners have welcomed a temporary sale on train tickets across the UK, but argue that costs should be cut even further.

The government’s “Great British Rail Sale” will see prices slashed by as much as half, with cheaper off-peak travel on offer in April and May.

But the Campaign for Better Transport said wider price increases are “driving people off the railway”.
Passenger numbers on trains have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.

About 285 million rail passenger journeys were made in Britain in the last three months of 2021 – just 62% of the levels seen before coronavirus struck, according to the Office of Rail and Road.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said more than one million train tickets would be reduced this spring.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is hoping the move will help struggling households to afford trips across the UK and boost the domestic tourism industry.

It comes after the highest train fare rises for nine years came into force for rail travellers in England and Wales last month.

The sale is expected to bring some Manchester to Newcastle journeys down to a little over £10, while seats on some London to Edinburgh services will be slashed from £44 to £22.

Discounted tickets will go on sale from Tuesday, with passengers eligible to travel for less on off-peak fares between 25 April and 27 May.

It will not cover journeys made during half-term or the four-day UK bank holiday weekend from 2 to 5 June, which will mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, also said: “We want everyone to be able to benefit from travelling by train because it’s more than just a journey, it’s a way to connect everyone to the people, places and things they love.”

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