As millions of Brits prepare to journey across the country to see their loved ones this Christmas, Trainline has shared the busiest and quietest days to travel by train – along with simple ways to save money and avoid the crowds.
According to the digital rail platfrom, the Saturday before Christmas has consistently the busiest day to travel by trains for the past two years.
Commuters are advised to avoid the late-morning rush, with the single busiest hour last Christmas falling between 10am and 11am on 21 December.
On the flip side, Trainline’s data found New Year’s Day to be the quietest for rail travel – ideal for those organising a last-minute visit to see family and friends, or returning home after festivities.
During the festive period, early mornings and late evenings continue to be the calmest times to travel, with passenger numbers dropping sharply later in the day.
On 1 January 2025, the number of passengers travelling decreased by more than half between the hours of 4-5pm and 5-6pm.
However, travellers should be aware that train services typically do not commence operations until sometime between 5am and 6am.
To help passengers beat the crowds this December and January, Trainline has shared the UK’s busiest rail routes over the festive season.
To help travellers beat the crowds at stations across the UK this Christmas, Trainline has shared the busiest and quietest days to travel by train (Pictured: London Euston in December 2024)
Last Christmas, the most in-demand routes included Birmingham to London Euston, which saw the highest number of early bookers, Manchester to London Euston, Edinburgh to London King’s Cross and Milton Keynes to London Euston.
Unsurprisingly, the Gatwick Airport to London Victoria route also saw a significant increase in passenger numbers.
In light of this, Trainline has shared its top tips to reduce stress when travelling this Christmas, along with a number of money-saving hacks, such as booking Advance tickets while they’re still available and taking advantage of SplitSave fares.
First and foremost, passengers are advised to book their tickets in advance – though they’re urged to snap these up quickly, as limited numbers of Advance tickets are available for some of the most popular routes over the Christmas break.
Using a digital railcard can also help cut costs, with a Railcard purchased through Trainline saving customers up to a third off train journeys across the UK.
Splitting journeys into multiple tickets can also save passengers a sizeable amount.
With the help of SplitSave, which automatically finds cheaper combinations, travellers can purchase tickets for different legs of their journey rather than buying a single through ticket.
Seasonal and general offers crop up throughout the year, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for deals to help cut costs further, such as Family Travelcards and the Kids for a Quid scheme.
While the Saturday before Christmas has consistently been the busiest day to travel, Trainline’s data found New Year’s Day to be the quietest for rail travel (Pictured: Birmingham New Street Station)
Large groups can also benefit from discounts. If passengers happen to be travelling in groups of three to nine people, they may be able to save up to 34 per cent with GroupSave on eligible Off-Peak services.
Should passengers find their journeys disrupted over the festive season, the Trainline app has a range of new features to help travellers stay on track – from Travel Forecast helping to spot delays, to Train Swap, which helps users switch journeys in only a few taps.
For those taking to the roads this season, this map reveals the most gridlocked roads as Britain faces its busiest-ever festive getaway with 37.5million trips.
Analytics firm Inrix predicts long delays on major routes on Friday when many drivers leaving urban areas for a Christmas break compete for road space with commuters.
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The quietest days to travel by train this Christmas – and how to save on festive fares
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