The main ways to save money on rail fares are buying advanced tickets, despite the reduced flexibility, or buying a railcard which saves one-third off the cost. Credit: Pixabay.

European train and coach app Trainline has suggested that British travellers reduced the cost of travel by up to 69% in 2022. Trainline analysed 40 popular rail routes and compared the average price paid for the journey with the price charged for a walk-up ticket and peak and off-peak timings.

The main ways to save money on rail fares are buying advanced tickets, despite the reduced flexibility, or buying a railcard which saves one-third off the cost.

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The use of Trainline’s SplitSave feature also has a significant impact as the journey is split into a combination of tickets. For example, paying a peak fare for just part of a long-distance journey.

Mike Hyde, Chief Data Officer for Trainline said: “There are huge savings available on UK rail fares, and our data shows savvy Brits are successfully banking them.

“Trainline customers save an average 35% on their rail travel and we aim to help travellers save effortlessly by utilising our tech to cut through the complexity and find the best possible price.

“Whether it’s by automatically applying rail card savings, by making smart choices about returns and singles, or by using our SplitSave technology to find hidden savings, our whole system is designed to find you the best possible price for your journey.”

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Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham and London were surveyed. In each city, passengers saved over half the cost of an upfront ticket.

The most savings were made by people travelling between Glasgow and Leeds, as travellers saved over two-thirds on an off-peak single ticket, a saving of £83.03 on the £120 price.

During peak times, the biggest savings are made by people travelling between Leeds and Nottingham, as travellers paid on average 68% less than the cost of a peak single, a saving of £35.73 on the £52.90 ticket price.