The fares for the Yorkshire Dales Explorer (YDE) are specially set by Northern Trains Ltd, the train operator and the March 2025 fares can be seen on this link Yorkshire Dales Explorer Fares. Community Rail Lancashire (CRL) is not a commercial company and does not sell tickets, but there are a number of ways to buy your tickets to travel.
We advise against trying to book online as most of the industry sites do not support the special Yorkshire Dales Explorer fares. There is also no advantage in purchasing tickets in advance as there are no financial benefits in doing so and you may lose part of the cost if applying for a refund.
Duo Fares
Northern’s Duo Fares (2 travel together for 25% discount) are available for destinations north of Clitheroe on Saturdays. DUO tickets are available from booking offices, ticket vending machines (TVMs) and online as e-tickets. (Don’t forget to add two adults if booking online or at a TVM) https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/. A full list of the Yorkshire Dales Explorer Duo Fares can be downloaded on this link: YDE Duo Fares
Boarding at a staffed station
You can purchase your tickets from the ticket office or from a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) where available and the full range of tickets including adult, child and railcard discounts will be available.
Boarding at an unstaffed station
If there is a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) on the station then you can purchase the full range of tickets including adult, child and railcard discounts using a payment card.
Please be aware that on some stations the TVM may not be on the platform that your train is departing from and if there isn’t a TVM available then you can purchase your tickets from the conductor on the train.