Advance train tickets

Plan ahead. Save up to 60% when you book in advance.

Our Advance tickets are ideal if you know where and when you’d like to travel. You can book from up to 12 weeks ahead until the day before your journey. And on selected routes you can even buy Advance tickets up to five minutes before the train departs. They're limited in number so the further in advance you book, the more likely you are to get an Advance ticket for the date and time you want.

Advance tickets cover our London route, Liverpool to Norwich services, and journeys to and from Skegness.

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Latest booking dates

You can currently book tickets for travel up to the following dates:

London route

Day Date
Saturday

01st June 2024

Sunday

02nd June 2024

Monday-Friday

10th June 2024

Liverpool to Norwich plus Skegness Route

Day Date
Saturday

08th June 2024

Sunday

09th June 2024

Monday-Friday

10th June 2024

Advance train tickets – the rules:

  • Book up to 12 weeks prior to travelling, and no later than 23:59 the day before
  • Always travel from the stations and at the specific times shown on your ticket
  • If you miss the train you’re booked on, you’ll need to buy a new ticket
  • You can only buy Advance tickets for one-way/single journeys

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Advance train tickets - on the day

You can now buy Advance train tickets on the day, up to five minutes before the train departs, on selected routes. They're available from ticket offices, our website and mobile app. Buying an Advance train ticket is even easier when you download our mobile app . Just search for your train, select your ticket and download it direct to the app. We'll even send a back up ticket to your email address. No queues, no ticket collection machines - easy!

On the day Advance tickets do not come with seat reservations meaning you're free to occupy any unreserved seat in the class of accommodation for your ticket.

Advance train tickets - ticket alert

Date of travel not available for purchase yet? Try our Ticket Alert service. Just enter your details and we will send you an email when your date is available to book.

Sign-up for Ticket Alerts

Further details

If you need to change the date or time of your Advance ticket you can get most tickets amended at our staffed stations, however, please note; this must be arranged before the departure of the first reserved train printed on the ticket. If you have bought your ticket direct through EMR, you can change them in the 'My Account' area on our website and app. There's a £10 admin fee, plus any difference in fare if your new ticket costs more than the original.

You could save 1/3 off the cost of your ticket with a railcard. If you use a railcard to buy your ticket, remember to take it with you when you travel. If you can't show a valid railcard, you will be asked to buy a new, full-price ticket. You’ll be able to claim any additional costs back the first time this happens. Find out more and buy railcards .

Travelling in a group of three or more? Save money when you travel together with our range of group discounts – for groups of three or more. Find out more about Groupsave and other group travel offers .

If any leg of your journey is delayed or cancelled, you can travel on the next available train(s) to complete your trip. If your journey is delayed by more than 15 minutes you can claim compensation through our Delay Repay Scheme .

If you decide not to travel because you can’t get the train you were counting on or your seat reservation isn’t available, you can claim a refund for your unused tickets. If your train is delayed or cancelled during your journey and you decide to return to your original station, we'll also give you a refund. Find out more about refunding your ticket .

You can only claim a refund on Advance train tickets if your chosen train is cancelled or delayed, or your reserved seat isn’t available, and you decide not to travel. Find out more about refunding your ticket .

To learn more, read the full National Rail terms and conditions for Advance tickets

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