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Rail Sale Advance Single (First Class)

The following terms and conditions apply to this type of ticket. Please note that some tickets have restrictions on the days or times you can travel. Please check before you travel.

Terms and Conditions

Description

Advance tickets are single (one-way) tickets for many longer and some shorter distance journeys, are available in First Class and Standard Class and offer the best available price for each journey.

Tickets must be booked in advance of travel and are subject to availability.

Advance tickets are valid only on the specific booked train but can be changed before departure of the first reserved service.

Single or Return

Single

Operator

  • Avanti West Coast
  • c2c
  • Caledonian Sleeper
  • Chiltern Railways
  • CrossCountry
  • East Midlands Railway
  • Grand Central
  • Great Northern
  • Great Western Railway
  • Greater Anglia
  • Hull Trains
  • LNER
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • London Overground
  • London Underground
  • Lumo
  • Merseyrail
  • Northern
  • ScotRail
  • South Western Railway
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Stansted Express
  • Elizabeth line
  • Thameslink
  • TransPennine Express
  • Transport for Wales
  • West Midlands Railway

First Class Ticket Code

NAF

Availability

Purchase Location

Selected National Rail staffed ticket offices, and online at most train company and independent retailer websites

Some Advance fares (particularly the very cheapest) or additional availability on low quota fares are only available to purchase direct from the train company that the ticket is valid to travel with - usually only via their own website.

Purchase Availability

Tickets must be purchased in advance of travel and between 06 and 12 January 2026, subject to availability. Generally, the earlier the ticket is booked the better the deal.

Tickets are valid for travel between 13 January and 25 March 2026.

Pre-booking Requirement

Tickets must be purchased in advance of travel and between 06 and 12 January 2026, subject to availability. Generally, the earlier the ticket is booked the better the deal.

Tickets are valid for travel between 13 January and 25 March 2026.

Reservations Compulsory

Yes

Yes

Discounts

Children

No

Railcards

No

Outward Journey

Day Of Travel

Valid only on the date shown on the ticket.

Time Of Travel

Valid only at the specified time and train printed on the ticket.

Refunds

Advance tickets are non-refundable.

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Change of Journey/Excess Fare paid

Where an excess fare has been paid up to the price of a walk-up ticket, the excess fare paid varies the terms under which the passenger can travel, but it does not alter the refund terms of the original Advance ticket. If the passenger subsequently asks for a refund on the combination of Advance ticket, Excess Fare paid and any administration fees paid, the Advance ticket and change of journey fee remain non-refundable and a refund is only payable on the difference in fare paid. This may be subject to a refund fee of no more than £10.

If your journey is cancelled or disrupted

If the train you purchased a ticket for is cancelled or delayed by more than 60 minutes, special arrangements will be made to accommodate them on another train (although a seat cannot be guaranteed). If the train you purchased a ticket for is cancelled or delayed, and as a result you decide not to travel, a refund will be offered on completely unused tickets and you will not be charged an administration fee.

There may be rare occasions where a cheaper Advance fare becomes available closer to the time of travel, for example if a group booking is cancelled and extra seats become available. Please note that in these circumstances Advance tickets that have already been bought cannot be refunded in part or in full.

Changes To Travel Plans

Changes to time or date of travel must be arranged before departure of the first reserved train printed on the ticket, after which the ticket has no value and a new one must be purchased. You will need to present the ticket(s) and reservation(s) when they request a change.

Changes to tickets cannot be made on-board the train. If customers board a train without a ticket and reservation for that service, a new ticket must be purchased.

The origin, destination and Train Company or route shown on the ticket(s) must remain the same.

The difference between the price paid and cost of the next suitable fare for the journey is payable. An administration fee of no more than £10 may be charged per ticket for each change to a journey. If customers change to a train on which a cheaper fare is available, the difference will not be refunded.

Please note: Where an Advance ticket has been purchased online and the ticket has either been self-printed at home or downloaded to a mobile device this may alter the rules for changing the ticket. The relevant conditions will be made clear when the ticket is bought.