The Great British Rail Sale is set to return, offering discounts on over a million rail tickets for a week starting on January 23.

The sale aims to stimulate rail travel, aligning with the government's efforts to reform the railways and rejuvenate passenger interest in the network.

Passengers can enjoy discounts of up to 50% on selected Advance and Off-Peak rail tickets for journeys taking place between 23 and 29 January.

This initiative covers popular routes across England and Wales, including cross-border trips into Scotland taking place between 30 January and 15 March.

In line with the government's commitment to ease the cost of living, the rail fare increase for this year has been capped at 4.9%, below the historically based 9% figure from July's retail price index.

This move follows the government's success in halving inflation by the end of the previous year, contributing to long-term affordability in travel costs.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper expressed optimism about the sale, emphasising its positive impact on passengers and their ability to connect with friends and family while exploring the UK.

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 £7m in savings on their travel costs.

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"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."

Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive of the Rail Delivery Group, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the environmental benefits of train travel.

Starr said: "Train travel is the greenest way to explore our towns and cities as well as connect with your family and friends because nothing beats being there in person for those special moments.

"Following the success of the Great British Rail Sale in 2022, we are really excited that it's coming back, and customers will be able to once again purchase over a million Advance ticket fares starting on 23rd January 2024 and enjoy what rail has to offer."

The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) estimates that the previous sale in 2022 saved passengers around £7 million on rail tickets and motivated approximately 70,000 adults who hadn't traveled by train since the pandemic to embark on a trip.

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