Students commuting to and from Darlington are set to benefit from more affordable rail travel as Northern and TransPennine Express launch their discounted student season ticket scheme. 

The ‘U16 Education Season Ticket’ initiative, which Northern has run for several years, now includes select TransPennine Express routes.

Among these is the line connecting Darlington to Northallerton, providing a 50% discount on child ticket prices for school commuters.

The scheme aims to encourage students to choose rail over road, easing family budgets and promoting sustainable travel.

Tickets purchased through the program can also be used on weekends and bank holidays, making it a flexible option for young passengers.

Northern trains and TransPennine Express have teamed up to offer 50% discount for commuting students Northern trains and TransPennine Express have teamed up to offer 50% discount for commuting students (Image: Nq/Northern) Alex Hornby, the new commercial and customer director at Northern who joined the train operator last month, said: “Northern has a long-running campaign to encourage students to convert their commute from road to rail – and we’re delighted to extend the scheme to even more stations by joining forces with our colleagues at TransPennine Express.”

Darren Higgins, commercial director at TransPennine Express said: “We’re pleased to be able to work with Northern to bring this fantastic offer to students which provides a significant saving on the cost of the school commute – and Education Season tickets can be used at weekends and bank holidays too.”

TransPennine Express and Northern trains have teamed up to offer commuting students 50% off rail travel on selected routesTransPennine Express and Northern trains have teamed up to offer commuting students 50% off rail travel on selected routes (Image: PA) Darlington Station plays a key role in this initiative, connecting local students with neighbouring areas such as Northallerton and Thirsk.

This collaboration between two major train operators—both under DfT OLR Holdings Limited—highlights a commitment to providing accessible and sustainable transport for northern communities.

Robin Gisby, chief executive of DOHL said: “We are pleased to see Northern and TransPennine Express, two operators within the DOHL Group, join forces to extend the U16 Education Season Ticket scheme. We look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the communities we serve.”

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It offers a 50% discount on the regular price of a child ticket on all Northern services and TransPennine Express services between:

  • Darlington to Northallerton
  • Thirsk to York and Darlington
  • Yarm to Middlesbrough
  • York to Leeds, Seamer and Scarborough
  • Malton to York and Scarborough
  • Northallerton to Middlesbrough and York
  • Hull to Huddersfield and Manchester (Deansgate, Oxford Road, Piccadilly & Victoria)
  • Stockport to Manchester (Deansgate, Oxford Road, Piccadilly & Victoria)
  • Carlisle to Penrith
  • Grimsby to Scunthorpe

For more details and to purchase tickets, visit: northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/educational-season.