Northern Rail sale: how to get £1 train tickets as flash sale begins, routes with discounts, when does it end?

Train operator Northern has launched a flash sale with over one million tickets available for a bargain of £1.

These £1 tickets are for travel between Tuesday 6 September and Thursday 20 October 2022.

Bookings for the £1 fare can be made online or through the Northern app while stocks last.

The flash sale comes as Northern - which was previously known as Northern Rail - train drivers recently voted for strike action in an ongoing dispute over pay.

When can I buy the £1 tickets?

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday (30 August) at 10am.

The promotional £1 tickets must be booked seven days in advance of travel and are only available online, via Northern’s website and app.

Northern has nearly 2,000 services a day and up to 10% of service capacity is up for grabs at the flash sale rate.

Some peak-time services are excluded as well as those that are already expected to be busy in line with events across the region.

Why is there a Northern flash sale?

Mark Powles, customer and commercial director at Northern, said the sale would enable people to enjoy city breaks for less.

He said: “This is our way of helping to extend the summer holiday feeling by a further six weeks - getting people through until the start of the October half term.

"Whether it’s for a weekend in the historic city of Chester, a night out in Newcastle; a day at the seaside in Scarborough, or a walking holiday in the Lake District - these fares will get you where you want to be for less.”

He added: “Tickets are on a first-come, first serve basis - so those looking to take advantage of these great £1 fares should book early to avoid disappointment.

“When they’re gone, they’re gone.”

Why are Northern train drivers striking?

Members of Aslef at Chiltern, Northern and TransPennine Express have all backed walkouts in the long-running row affecting the rail industry.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said strikes were always the last resort.

He said: “You can see from the votes – and the turnouts – just how angry our members are.

“These are the men and women who moved key workers and goods around the country during the pandemic, yet have not had a pay rise since 2019.”

He added: “With inflation running north of 10% – and set to go much higher – several train companies are saying that they want their drivers to take a real-terms pay cut.

“Their attitude is ‘suck it up’ – and that stinks.”

After a one-day strike on 13 August, the Rail Delivery Group, the pressure group that represents the interests of the privatised train operating companies, asked for talks.

Mr Whelan said that those talks were “strained but quite constructive” adding that there were no concrete proposals - but train companies hope that the dialogue continues.

He said: "That’s why we are calling on the companies to come to the table with a proper proposal to help our members, their drivers, buy this year what they could buy last year.

“That is the way to prevent another strike and all the disruption that causes. The ball is now firmly in the train companies’ court.”

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group said: "We want to give our people a pay rise, but to fund it unions must recognise that an industry that has lost 20% of its revenue can either adapt or decline.

“Instead of causing further disruption to passengers and businesses, we urge the Aslef leadership to continue talks so we can adapt our services’ new travel patterns, improve punctuality and secure a bright, long-term future for our people."