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Ticket Alert

Sign up for a Ticket Alert below for updates on the availability of Advance train tickets for your journey. Trainline customers save 61% on average when they book in advance vs Anytime fares on the day.*

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Date picker

This allows you to select the date.

Date picker

This allows you to select the date.

Advance tickets are sold as Singles. If your departure and return dates are different, you may receive two alerts.

** We attempt to detect when Advance tickets have been released each day by analysing the results of millions of users’ journey searches. There may be interim dates when timetables and Advance tickets are yet to be confirmed by train operators. We’ll do our very best to alert you as soon as our systems detect availability. If you do not receive an alert, check back in before you travel to book a ticket and reserve a seat. *** A seat reservation may be required by the train operator to help make sure social distancing is in place. To have the best chance of securing a reservation, we recommend you do regular searches for your upcoming journey, as well as looking out for our ticket alert, and book as early as possible.

When are cheap train tickets released?

Advance train tickets – usually the cheapest type of train ticket – are usually released up to 12 weeks before the departure date. However, while COVID restrictions are in place, train operators are typically releasing tickets closer to the day of departure. To get the cheapest available ticket, travelling during Off-Peak times or booking a SplitSave ticket via the app are both ways to save money.

When do Advance train tickets become available?

Train companies in the UK can release their Advance tickets up to 12 weeks before the departure date. However, while COVID restrictions are in place, train operators are typically releasing tickets closer to the day of departure. Only a limited number of Advance tickets will be available, so be quick to book as the fare can rise as the cheapest tickets start to sell out.

How far in advance can you book train tickets?

You can usually book train tickets in the UK up to 12 weeks in advance, these are called Advance train tickets and are generally cheaper than booking nearer to the departure date.

Advance ticket booking window

Advance train tickets tend to become available in the UK 12 weeks before the departure date. These are the latest dates that we've found tickets available for**.

Avanti West Coast14th December 2023
Chiltern Railways16th November 2023
CrossCountry3rd December 2023
East Midlands Railway15th December 2023
Grand Central20th March 2024
Great Western Railway9th December 2023
Greater Anglia17th November 2023
Hull Trains10th March 2024
London North Eastern Railway15th December 2023
London Northwestern Railway8th December 2023
Northern17th November 2023
ScotRail17th November 2023
South Western Railway8th December 2023
Southeastern15th December 2023
Southern21st December 2023
TransPennine Express9th December 2023
Transport for Wales3rd November 2023

** We attempt to detect when Advance tickets have been released each day by analysing the results of millions of users’ journey searches. There may be interim dates when timetables and Advance tickets are yet to be confirmed by train operators. We’ll do our very best to alert you as soon as our systems detect availability. If you do not receive an alert, check back in before you travel to book a ticket and reserve a seat.

Cheap train tickets - buy in advance and save 61%*

We help you save on rail tickets by highlighting cheap prices for your next UK rail booking. You can benefit from great savings when buying your train tickets in advance.

* Average savings on all fares booked at least one week before day of travel vs Anytime fares purchased on day of travel. Subject to availability. Excludes coach.

Planning your journey

Use the Trainline journey planner tool to plan and book your next trip or check our train timetables to ensure you catch your chosen train on the day of travel. Our handy ticket alert tool can also help to notify you when Advance tickets become available, so you can plan your train travel as far in advance as possible.


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