Twelve-week booking window has returned

The train operator, Northern, whose services run through Congleton, Sandbach and Holmes Chapel has made its cheapest tickets available for customers to book 12 weeks in advance of travel.
It is the first time the ticket scheme has been re-introduced by Northern since before the pandemic and follows demand for advance purchase tickets from customers, the company said.
The new rule takes effect from tomorrow (Friday) when tickets as far ahead as Friday, 15th November, will be available to buy at the cheapest rate.
Advance purchase tickets offer customers up to 65% off the standard fare and are available on selected routes across the Northern network. The further in advance they are booked, the cheaper the fare.
The last time tickets were available 12 weeks ahead of travel was before the covid-19 pandemic when strict travel restrictions came into effect.
Since then, they have only been available as far as six weeks in advance.
Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “We’ve listened to our customers and are reinstating the 12-week booking period.
“Advance purchase tickets offer great low fares to places all across our network and we hope this decision will encourage people to use the train to get out and explore the region.”
For more information visit northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/advance.
Northern Trains, trading as Northern, is owned by the department for transport after the previous operator, Arriva Rail North, had its franchise terminated at the end of February 2020.