Now there are even more reasons to connect with the people, places and things you love the most, as for a limited time only, GWR is offering you the chance to escape the January blues with up to 50% off selected Advance tickets, available at GWR.com and the GWR app.
Choose from a range of great destinations and take advantage of our fantastic train ticket sale on routes across the GWR network. Whether it’s a city break to the capital, a relaxing weekend in the Cotswolds or a coastal getaway to South Wales or the West of England; there are now even more reasons to travel by train in 2026.
150,000 seats available between Tuesday 6 and Monday 12 January 2026
Travel between Tuesday 13 January and Wednesday 25 March 2026
Book direct at GWR.com and you won't pay a booking fee
Earn rewards with every adventure. Sign up to GWR Rewards here.
Advance Single fares
The Great British Rail Sale is available on Advance Single fares only, so you can mix and match fares for your outward and return journeys. These must be bought at least 7 days before you travel and are non-refundable. These fares are valid for your booked journey only.
Not right for you? View other ticket types.
Our Terms and Conditions
Great British Rail Sale tickets are limited and subject to availability and exclusions. See full terms and conditions for more details. Book between Tuesday 6 January and Monday 12 January 2026 for travel between Tuesday 13 January and Wednesday 25 March 2026. Tickets must be bought at least 3 to 7 days prior to travel, will vary by operator. Great Western Railway tickets must be purchased at least 7 days prior to travel. Promotional tickets are available on selected routes only. Booking fees may apply. This sale is mainly available online. Please contact your train company if you have specific accessibility requirements.
Frequently asked questions about the Great British Rail Sale
General information about the Great British Rail Sale
Train operating companies are working together to offer up to 50% off selected Advance and Off-Peak tickets on over 3 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, selected Off-Peak tickets may be offered as an alternative.
Great British 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. Tickets must be purchased at least 3 to 7 days prior to travel – this varies by operator. Great Western Railway tickets must be purchased at least 7 days prior to travel.
The Great British Rail Sale is offering customers up to 50% off selected Advance and Off-Peak tickets. Where a participating train company does not offer Advance tickets, selected Off-Peak tickets may be offered as an alternative.
Tickets must be purchased at least 3 to 7 days prior to travel, but will vary by operator. Great Western Railway tickets must be purchased at least 7 days prior to travel.
The discount will be available on selected Advance and Off-Peak tickets. Where a participating train company does not offer Advance tickets, selected Off-Peak tickets may be offered as an alternative. Customers can visit the National Rail website to see what discounts are available for the location they wish to visit.
Over 3 million Great British Rail Sale tickets will be on sale between Tuesday 6 January to Monday 12 January 2026 for travel between Tuesday 13 January and Wednesday 25 March 2026.
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/great-british-rail-sale/ to find out which routes are included in the Great British Rail Sale.
Booking and availability in the Great British Rail Sale
Great British Rail Sale tickets can be bought online from ticket retailers and train companies operating in England, Wales and Scotland. Visit nationalrail.co.uk/great-british-rail-sale/ 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. Find out how to contact your train company.
Great British Rail Sale tickets are available on a wide selection of routes across England, Wales and to/from Scotland. Visit nationalrail.co.uk/great-british-rail-sale/ to find out which routes are available.
The following train operating companies will be offering discounted tickets as part of the Great British Rail Sale: Avanti West Coast, C2C, Chiltern, Cross Country, East Midlands Railway, Grand Central, Great Northern, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, London North Eastern Railway, Northern, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales, and West Midlands Railway.
Visit nationalrail.co.uk/great-british-rail-sale/ 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!
Great British Rail Sale tickets are not available on all routes.
Great British 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. Great British Rail Sale tickets are available on the trains and routes that have more capacity to ensure rail travel is more enjoyable for everyone.
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. Great British Rail Sale tickets will be advertised as Rail Sale in the journey planner of your train company or ticket retailer's website.
You can buy as many as you want. The tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Great British Rail Sale is mainly available online from ticket retailers and train companies operating in England. Visit nationalrail.co.uk/great-british-rail-sale/ 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. Find details on how to contact your train company.
There are some Return tickets available, but most Great British 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.
You must buy them in advance. Great British Rail Sale tickets must be purchased at least 3 to 7 days prior to travel, but this varies by operator. Great Western Railway tickets must be purchased at least 7 days prior to travel.
Using Great British Rail Sale tickets
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.
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.
Great British 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.
No, there is no additional discount available with a Railcard.
Yes. To buy Child tickets, please visit your train operating company or preferred ticket retailer.
On some train operators you may be able to pay for a First Class upgrade. Please check the terms and conditions on your train company's website for more information.
.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/great-british-rail-sale/ to find out which routes are available, then select 'buy' to head over to a ticket retailer and check the availability for your journey.
You must use your Great British Rail Sale tickets on the train services shown on the ticket or for the journey you booked.
Refunds, changes and Delay Repay on Great British Rail Sale tickets
Great British 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.
Customers can apply for Delay Repay in times of disruption when their journeys have been delayed to the extent that they become eligible to do so. If you choose not to travel at the last minute in the event of train delays, you should apply for Delay Repay. Find out more about Delay Repay.
Great British 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 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.
Terms and conditions
These terms and conditions apply to the Great British Rail Sale, a promotion coordinated by ATOC Ltd on behalf of participating Train Companies for the Promotional Period.
- Over 3 million promotional Great British Rail Sale Tickets will be available on selected journeys across the National Rail network (in England, Wales, and Scotland) for the Promotional Period.
- The Promotional Period will start on 6 January 2026 and will end when all Great British 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 Great British Rail Sale Tickets available during the Promotional Period is limited and subject to availability.
- Great British 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, selected Off-Peak ticket fares may be offered as an alternative. Great British Rail Sale Tickets are not available on all routes or all journeys and may not represent the lowest available fare for a particular journey.
- Great British Rail Sale tickets must be purchased at least 3 to 7 days in advance of the date of travel. This varies per operator. Great Western Railway tickets must be purchased at least 7 days prior to travel.
- The Great British Rail Sale is promoted via the Great British Rail Sale website and Great British 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.
Selected routes, limited availability and exclusions
- The number of Great British 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 Great British Rail Sale Tickets, and no other discounts can be used in conjunction with Great British Rail Sale Tickets.
- Child tickets can be purchased in the Great British Rail Sale from participating Train Companies and ticket retailers.
Great Western Railway exclusions
The following travel exclusion dates will apply:
- Sundays are not included in the promotion
- Sunday 15 February 2026, Saturday 21 February 2026, and Saturday 14 March 2026 – Promotional fares for journeys to/from London Paddington to Cardiff, Swansea, Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock are unavailable
- Tuesday 10 March 2026 until Friday 13 March 2026 – Promotional fares for journeys to/from Cheltenham Spa, Worcester via Swindon are unavailable
General
- ATOC Ltd reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions without notice and to take appropriate action to close the offer or withdraw the Great British 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 The Great British Rail Sale is ATOC Ltd on behalf of participating Train Companies. ATOC Limited 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.
Last updated 10 December 2025
Who we are
ATOC Ltd manages the Great British Rail Sale website on behalf of National Rail Enquiries (NRE) and Britain's train companies. National Rail Enquiries is a trademark of Train Information Services Limited (TISL).
To contact us you can write to us at ATOC Ltd, First Floor North, 1 Puddle Dock, London, England, EC4V 3DS.
The data we collect
We do not collect, store or share any personal data on the Great British Rail Sale website.
We do request a postcode to help find your nearest station in the ticket search, but this is only used to enable you to search for available tickets. Once your search is completed, the postcode is immediately discarded and is not recorded or stored in any way.
We use cookies across our website to improve your experience and our website's performance. To find out more about our cookies, read our Cookie Policy.
How to contact us
You can contact us using the details provided below:
- Postal address: Data Protection Lead for NRE ATOC Limited, First Floor North, 1 Puddle Dock, London, England, EC4V 3DS
- Telephone: 0207 841 8000
Please include your name and email address, so that we can deal with your request.
Complaints
You have the right to complain about our processing to the Information Commissioner if you believe we are not processing your data in a proper manner. See https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ for more information.