The Rail Sale

Train operating companies across England, Wales and Scotland are working together to offer up to 50% off selected Advance tickets on over 2 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.

Rail Sale tickets are available on a wide selection of routes across England, Wales and Scotland. Visit nationalrail.co.uk/railsale to find out which routes are available.

The following train operating companies will be offering discounted tickets as part of the Great 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 North Eastern Railway, London Northwestern Railway, Northern, South Western Railway, ScotRail, Southeastern, Southern, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales, and West Midlands Railway.

Rail Sale tickets will go on sale from Tuesday 6 January to Monday 12 January 2026. Tickets can be purchased for travel between Tuesday 13 January and Wednesday 25 March 2026. For travel with EMR, tickets must be purchased at least 7 days prior to travel.

For EMR, tickets must be purchased at least 7 days prior to travel.

The discount will be available on selected Advance tickets. Where a participating train company does not offer Advance tickets, Off-Peak tickets may be offered as an alternative. Customers should visit nationalrail.co.uk/railsale to see what discounts are available for the location they wish to visit.

Rail Sale tickets can be bought online from ticket retailers and train companies operating in England, Wales and Scotland. Visit nationalrail.co.uk/railsale 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.

Please contact customer relations if you require assistance or have specific accessibility requirements.

Visit nationalrail.co.uk/railsale to find out which routes are available. Tickets are limited in number and subject to availability. Once you find a route, select 'buy' to head over to a ticket retailer and check the availability for your journey. Act quickly, because when they're gone, they're gone!

Over 2 million Rail Sale tickets will be on sale with over 100,000 on offer on EMR services 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. EMR Rail Sale tickets must be purchased at least 7 days prior to travel, but varies by operator.

You must use your 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.

Rail Sale tickets are not available on all routes.

Rail Sale tickets are not available on all routes and are limited and subject to availability and exclusions. If you can't find what you're looking for on your train company’s or ticket retailer's website, it could be that the journey you're looking for is either already sold out or not included in the sale. Rail Sale tickets are available on the trains and routes that have more capacity to ensure rail travel is more enjoyable for everyone.

Visit nationalrail.co.uk/railsale to find out which routes are included in the Rail Sale.

If you're unable to find the train ticket you're looking for on the train company or ticket retailer's website, it may have already sold out. Rail Sale tickets will be advertised as Rail Sale in the journey planner of your train company or ticket retailer's website.

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.

Yes, EMR will offer Child rate Rale Sale tickets.

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.

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.

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 nationalrail.co.uk/railsale to find out which routes are available, then select 'buy' to head over to a ticket retailer and check the availability for your journey.

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.

The Rail Sale is mainly available online from ticket retailers and train companies operating in England. Visit nationalrail.co.uk/railsale 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.

Please contact customer relations if you require assistance or have specific accessibility requirements.

The Rail Sale is offering customers up to 50% off selected Advance tickets. Where a participating train company does not offer Advance tickets, Off-Peak tickets may be offered as an alternative.

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 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 on a train operator or preferred ticket retailer's website.

Customers can apply to see if they’re eligible for Delay Repay in times of disruption. If you choose not to travel at the last minute in the event of train delays, you should apply for Delay Repay. You can find information on Delay Repay here.

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

If you purchased your ticket before the strikes were announced, you may be able to use your ticket on an alternative day (although a seat cannot be guaranteed). If the ticket is for a train that is scheduled for a strike day, and that service is not cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, but you prefer not to travel, you should contact your ticket retailer. Please contact the train company you are travelling with for more information. If you are travelling with EMR, please contact customer relations here.

No, there is no additional discount available with Railcard.

• Rail Sale tickets are limited and subject to availability and exclusions. Book between 6 January and 12 January for travel between 13 January and 25 March 2026. Tickets must be bought at least 7 days prior to travel. Promotional tickets are available on selected routes only. This sale is mainly available online. Please contact your train company if you have specific accessibility requirements.
• Over 2 million promotional Rail Sale Tickets will be available on selected journeys across the National Rail network (in England, Wales & Scotland) for the Promotional Period.
• The Promotional Period will start on 6 January 2026 and will end when all Rail Sale Tickets have been sold or on 12 January 2026, whichever is sooner, for travel between 13 January 2026 and 25 March 2026. The number of Rail Sale Tickets available during the Promotional Period is limited and subject to availability.
• The Rail Sale will not be available on EMR routes on 25/ 26 January and the 1/ 2 February. Different exclusion dates may apply, depending on the route.
• Rail Sale Tickets are selected Advance or Off-Peak tickets with fares discounted by individual participating Train Companies, up to 50% off the equivalent full price Advance ticket fare. Where a participating Train Company does not offer Advance tickets, Off-Peak ticket fares may be offered as an alternative. Rail Sale Tickets are not available on all routes or all journeys and may not represent the lowest available fare for a particular journey.
• Rail Sale tickets must be purchased at least 7 days in advance of the date of travel. This varies per operator.
• The Rail Sale is promoted via the Rail Sale website and Rail Sale Tickets are available to purchase via participating Train Companies and ticket retailers for the Promotional Period. This is an online sale, please contact the relevant participating Train companies if you require assistance or have specific accessibility requirements.
  

• The number of Rail Sale tickets offered by each participating Train Company will vary and are limited in number.
• Tickets are not available on all routes and at some peak times and are not offered by all Train Companies.
• Availability is subject to specific travel exclusions across some routes due to engineering improvement works. For more details of engineering works please refer to participating Train Company websites.
• Railcard discounts do not apply to Rail Sale Tickets, and no other discounts can be used in conjunction with the Rail Sale Tickets.
• Child tickets can be purchased with the Rail Sale from participating Train Companies and ticket retailers.

• East Midlands Railway reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions without notice and to take appropriate action to close the offer or withdraw the Rail Sale Tickets from sale at any time.
• Usual Train Company terms and conditions of purchase, National Rail Conditions of Travel, Advance and Off-Peak ticket terms and conditions apply.
• The promoter of the Rail Sale is East Midlands Railway on behalf of participating Train Companies. East Midlands Railway is a company registered in England and Wales under company no. 03069033, whose registered office is at First Floor North, 1 Puddle Dock, London, England, EC4V 3DS