As the post-pandemic world of travel reopens, the opportunity for business meetings across the UK has grown significantly. But in an era of inflation and soaring costs, the amount spent on rail travel is becoming a concern for both commuters and businesses alike.

While conventional wisdom suggests that booking train tickets in advance can yield substantial savings, how true is this in practice?

Good Travel Management has delved into the cost dynamics of travelling to London Waterloo, as well as some of the UK’s other busiest train stations and commuter hubs, including Birmingham New Street, Leeds City Station and Glasgow Central, to find out how much commuters could save when booking ahead of time for important business meetings.

UK stations with the highest advanced booking savings to London Waterloo

Rank	Station Name	Anytime Booking Average Cost	Advance Booking Average Cost	Average Savings	Percentage Saved
1	Liverpool Central	£174.30	£23.00	£151.30	87%
2	Liverpool Lime Street	£174.30	£23.00	£151.30	87%
3	Exeter Central	£152.50	£23.60	£128.90	85%
4	Exeter St David’s	£152.50	£23.60	£128.90	85%
5	Birmingham New Street	£109.00	£17.00	£92.00	84%
6	Coventry	£88.20	£14.00	£74.20	84%
7	Manchester Piccadilly	£187.70	£31.00	£156.70	83%
8	Wolverhampton	£120.50	£21.00	£99.50	83%
9	Birmingham Moor Street	£109.00	£19.00	£90.00	83%
10	Birmingham International	£97.40	£17.00	£80.40	83%

The study findings show that those travelling from Liverpool Central and Liverpool Lime Street will save the most money if they book a train fare in advance. An anytime booking costs £174.30. However, an advanced booking can cost as little as £23.00. This is a significant saving of £151.30 (87%).

Exeter Central and Exeter St David’s are in second position, with travellers able to save £128.90 on a full price ticket (85%) with an advanced booking. An anytime ticket is £152.50, but an advanced ticket can be as low as £23.60.

UK stations with the lowest advanced booking savings to London Waterloo

Rank	Station Name	Anytime Booking Average Cost	Advance Booking Average Cost	Average Savings	Percentage Saved
1	Reading	£32.20	£21.10	£11.10	34%
2	Paisley Gilmour Street	£199.50	£122.40	£77.10	39%
3	Oxford	£42.20	£24.00	£18.20	43%
4	Derby	£115.50	£55.50	£60.00	52%
5	Middlesborough	£191.40	£86.90	£104.50	55%
6	Berwick-Upon-Tweed	£196.90	£88.10	£108.80	55%
7	Huddersfield	£163.30	£72.50	£90.80	56%
8	Edinburgh	£196.90	£86.00	£110.90	56%
9	Sheffield	£119.50	£49.50	£70.00	59%
10	Nottingham	£109.50	£44.50	£65.00	59%

It is noteworthy that London Waterloo had the highest number of train stations where booking in advance did not impact the price. The 14 stations included: London Bridge, London Victoria, London Liverpool Street, London Euston, Stratford (London), London Kings Cross, London Paddington, Watford Junction, St Albans City, Gatwick Airport, Cambridge, Brighton, Northampton, and Chelmsford.

London Waterloo Station was found to have the highest average savings when booking in advance (52 percent). The average cost to buy a train ticket to London Waterloo was £111.32, but this dropped significantly to £36.30 when booking two months in advance, the cheapest of all the major railway stations studied.

On average, travellers save 44 percent when booking rail tickets two months in advance. That’s a saving of £57.16 on average, though this cost will fluctuate depending on the distance travelled.

Laura Busby, Commercial Director at Good Travel Management, said: “Understanding the dynamics of rail fare savings is crucial in today’s evolving travel landscape. Whether you’re a business traveller or a leisure commuter, understanding the factors that influence ticket prices, like distance, ticket type, region, competition, and passenger demand empowers you to make more economical choices.

“By doing so, travellers can ensure that their rail journeys are not only cost-effective but also more enjoyable, adding extra value to their travel experiences.”

You can see the full findings from the study here.