Rail tickets to be slashed in ‘sale’

TRAIN tickets are set to be slashed by as much as half as the UK Government looks to address cost-of-living pressures with cheaper travel in April and May.

In what is being dubbed the Great British Rail Sale, more than one million train tickets are being reduced this spring.

The UK Government is hoping the move will help hard-pressed households, facing rising bills and soaring inflation, to afford trips across the UK and boost domestic tourism.

Discounted tickets will go on sale from today, with passengers eligible to travel for less on offpeak fares between April 25 and May 27.

Officials said offering half-price rail tickets was “one of the ways” the UK Government was helping to support families with the cost of living, having previously announced measures to defer energy costs and offer council tax discounts for some households.

In a statement, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “For the first time ever, operators across the rail industry are coming together to help passengers facing rising costs of living by offering up to 50% off more than a million tickets on journeys across Britain.

“There’s no better time to visit friends, family or just explore our great country, so book your tickets today.”

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, 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.

“As part of the Great British Rail Sale customers will enjoy over one million discounted tickets, so they can explore some of the fantastic locations that are accessible by rail.”

Some of the journey savings expected include a single from York to Leeds being reduced to £2.80 from £5.60, London to Cardiff being cut from £47 to £25, and Portsmouth Harbour to Penzance going down to £22 from £45.70.

The Department for Transport said reforms to the rail sector through the so-called WilliamsShapps plan for rail will mean network-wide sales of tickets should be able to take place more easily in the future.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said the discounts will be “small comfort to passengers” after years of “soaring fares”.

Fares across England and Wales rose by up to 3.8% at the beginning of March.

“This temporary respite will be small comfort to passengers who had thousands taken out of their pockets from soaring fares since 2010.

“And the decision to end the sale just before half-term will mean many families face the same punishing costs over the holidays.”