By Blessing Chinagorom
The British Government has conclused plans that passengers will from 23 to 29 January 2024 to claim up to 50% selected advance and off-peak rail tickets, through the Great British Rail Sale.
Discounted rail ticket prices will apply to journeys between 30 January and 15 March 2024 across England, Wales as published by the Department of Transport on Saturday.
Stating that over a million discounted tickets will be available to destinations across England and Wales, as well as on cross- border trips into Scotland, for journeys taking place between 30 January and 15 March 2024.
Whether it’s a city break, family holiday or countryside escape, passengers are encouraged to make the most of this sale to get to popular destinations across the country.
The government is committed to helping families with the cost of living, and working with industry to offer up to half-price rail tickets will not only boost tourism and encourage sustainable travel but also help connect friends and families across the UK.
This follows a significant intervention to cap this year’s rail fare increase at 4.9%, considerably below the 9% July’s retail price index (RPI) figure on historically based which came as government delivered commitment to halve inflation by end of last year, helping to keep travel costs lower in the long term.
In his reaction, the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said, “The return of the Great British Rail Sale is good news for passengers, following the success of the previous sale which saw passengers benefit from around £7 million in savings on their travel costs.
“With discounts on more than a million tickets, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to connect with friends and family and explore great destinations across the country, I hope passengers make the most of this sale and choose to travel by rail”, he added.
Meanwhile, the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) estimated that the first Great British Rail Sale in 2022 saw passengers save around £7 million on rail tickets and encouraged around 70,000 adults who had not travelled by train since the COVID-19 pandemic to take a trip.
The British Government and industry are, therefore, launching a second Great British Rail Sale to save passengers money and get more people using its railways.
The Great British Rail Sale is just one way the government is seeking to improve rail passengers’ experience, with London North Eastern Railway (LNER) launching a pilot scheme for simpler fares earlier this week, removing the complex web of ticket types and replacing them with options that are simpler, more flexible and better suit passengers’ needs.
