A huge rail sale has gone live with thousands of train journeys around the UK slashed in price by up to 50%.
Almost all UK train operators are taking part in the sale, which falls around the 200th anniversary of UK Rail.
There are more discounted tickets available than ever before, from short jaunts to neighbouring cities like Leeds and Sheffield to further-flung trips like Edinburgh and London.
It’s hoped that this huge rail sale will encourage more people to travel by train, and comes as the Government continues its overhaul of the railways.
Millions of train tickets are available at half the price, between 14 January and 20 January.
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The sale applies to select advance and off-peak fares on travel between 17 January and 31 March 2025.
These offers won’t last long, and only apply to a limited number of tickets, so you’ll want to move fast to snap up a bargain.
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It’s reported that last year’s rail sale saved passengers £5.8 million in total.
Secretary of State, Heidi Alexander, said: “I’m launching the biggest ever rail sale so more passengers can get big discounts on train tickets to visit destinations across the country.
“Whether you’re planning a getaway or wanting to visit friends or family, this sale offers huge reductions on all sorts of journeys.
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Train tickets slashed by up to 50% in huge Rail Sale across the UK. Credit: Unsplash, Fraser Cottrell
“Make the most of this sale, get your tickets while you can!”
The 2025 rail sale comes on the 200th anniversary of the first steam-powered passenger train with celebrations expected throughout the year as part of Railway 200.
Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive of Rail Delivery Group, said: “This year, as we celebrate 200 years of railways in the UK, we’re reminded that rail travel is about much more than simply getting from A to B – it’s about bringing people, communities and opportunities together.
“Over 2 centuries, rail has become a vital part of the UK, shaping the economy and lives of millions.
“The year’s rail sale will offer over 2 million discounted advance fares starting on 14 January 2025, which is a great way to save on your travel and celebrate 200 years of railway connections.”
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Next step – making that train between Manchester and London a bit more affordable every day of the year…
The beautiful Lake District bluebells display that’s being ‘loved to death’
Daisy Jackson
People are beginning to flock back to the Lake District for one of the season’s most beautiful spectacles – the arrival of the bluebells.
These pretty flowers are beginning to blanket parts of the national park in blue and purple blooms.
They’re incredibly rare flowers with around than half of the world’s bluebells found here in the UK, and can take around five to seven years to develop from seed to flower.
Which is why it’s actually against the law to intentionally pick, uproot or destroy bluebells.
The National Trust has also again stressed that people should resist the urge to step into the fields of bluebells – once they’re trampled, they can take years to recover.
One particular hotspot to see these incredible flowers is Rannerdale Knotts in the Lake District, where thousands of these wildflowers pop up between late April and mid-May.
While most bluebells flower in woodland areas, this particular patch covers open fellside – they bloom a bit later than other areas in the UK and mid-May is the perfect time to see them in full bloom.
Rannerdale Knotts is a short distance from the village of Buttermere, and the bluebell field can be accessed by a gentle walk from Buttermere National Trust car park.
However, these flowers are at risk of being ‘loved to death’, the National Trust has warned.
They say: “Rannerdale’s bluebells are renowned as a natural wonder, beloved of visitors and photographers; however, they are being ‘loved to death’.
“Once the plants are damaged by trampling they can’t photosynthesise enough energy and it can take them years to recover. Over the last 5 years, nearly 25% of the bluebells have been lost.
“To save the bluebells, and access to them, the National Trust are asking visitors to fight the urge to get in amongst the flowers and just simply stick to the path. Only by protecting them today can we ensure everyone has a chance to enjoy this special spring display in the future.”
Several locals have echoed this on social media, with one person saying: “As a local we love to share our landscape with visitors but please remember to maintain its natural beauty. So many people trample on them to get the perfect insta shot.”
Green light given for new train station in Greater Manchester town without one for 60 years
Emily Sergeant
The green light has been given to build a new train station in a Greater Manchester town that’s been without one for 60 years.
It’s been a whopping six decades, but the residents of Golborne will soon be able to hop on a train out of there, and that’s because a planning application to connect the Greater Manchester town, in the Wigan borough, that was submitted back in November of last year has been approved by Wigan Council.
This means connectivity is finally one step closer to becoming reality.
Plans to deliver a new £32m train station in Golborne have reached a milestone moment. 🚅@WiganCouncil has given the green light to the planning application for the station and #TfGM have appointed a local company to design it.
In case you didn’t know, Golborne currently has no direct bus, train, or tram services to Manchester, while the wider area is the largest and most-populous area in Greater Manchester not connected to the rail network.
The application includes plans for a new accessible two-platform rail station, including step-free access throughout with a footbridge across the tracks and lifts to both platforms, a new hourly service between Wigan and Manchester Victoria, and onwards to Stalybridge, an improved town centre car park, and also new walking and cycling links to the town centre.
According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the Golborne station scheme forms part of a wider ambition to bring eight commuter lines into the Bee Network by 2028 – of which ‘significant investment’ has been put into.
A CGI image showing an aerial view of the proposed Golborne train station / Credit: TfGM
The planning approval milestone will also help to boost access to jobs and opportunities for people both in the town and in the wider Wigan borough.
Now that plans have been approved, this means TfGM, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Wigan Council, working with Government, will now develop a full business case and detailed design throughout this year.
To deliver this work, TfGM has appointed Golborne-based engineering firm Murphy to develop the final station designs.
Subject to approval from the Government, work to make the Golborne station vision finally become a reality will begin in 2026, and it’s hoped that the first trains will stop there in 2027.
Daisy Jackson -
14th January 2025 
