Unlimited rail travel
Unlimited rail travel with Iconic Media Group
Explore the North all day long with the Off-Peak Northern Explorer. Kids go half price*.
To qualify for this special offer, simply collect three tokens from your local newspaper on participating dates, complete the correct online registration form, download and print the paper form and buy your tickets from any staffed ticket office.
You can travel anywhere on the Northern network using Northern services. Explore the North all day long. Depending on your home station, you can visit Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Southport, Sheffield, York and more with Northern.
Three tokens allow you to buy up to four Northern only Day Explorer tickets or Weekend Explorer tickets which must all be used on the same day or weekend (depending on the ticket chosen). Travel is available between Monday 21 September 2026 – Thursday 22 October 2026. Weekend Explorer tickets are available on Saturdays and Sundays between Saturday 26 September 2026 and Sunday 18 October 2026. Unlimited travel from 08:45 Mondays to Fridays and at any time at weekends.
Before deciding on your travel dates, please check for any planned engineering works that may affect your journey.
Participating papers
Tokens will be available to collect from Iconic Media Group papers on the dates below. For weekly papers, print dates are listed. Those issues will be removed the following week or once papers run out of stock.
Daily papers from Iconic Media Group are available Monday 21 September - Saturday 10 October. See daily papers available to purchase below.
- Yorkshire Post: Monday
- Yorkshire Evening Post
- The Star: Monday
- Sunderland Echo
- Blackpool Gazette
- Lancashire Post
Weekly papers from Iconic Media Group are available for a week following Thursday 24 Sept, 1 Oct, 8 Oct. Some papers have alternative issue dates, please view these exceptions below. Please note, these are print dates for weekly papers. Each issue is subject to availability.
- Wakefield Express
- Pontefract & Castleford Express
- Halifax Courier
- Brighouse Echo
- Hebden and Todmorden Times
- Dewsbury / Batley Series
- Harrogate Advertiser Series
- Scarborough Evening News
- Bridlington Free Press
- Whitby Gazette
- Sheffield Telegraph
- Doncaster Free Press
- Rotherham Advertiser
- Buxton Advertiser
- Worksop Guardian (Available from Friday 25 Sept, 2 Oct, & 9 Oct)
- Gainsborough Standard
- Derbyshire Times
- Wigan Post (Available from Friday 25 Sept, 2 Oct, & 9 Oct)
- Wigan Observer (Available from Tuesday 22 Sept, 29 Sept, & 6 Oct)
- Chorley Guardian (Available from Tuesday 22 Sept, 29 Sept, & 6 Oct)
- Burnley Express Friday (Available from Friday 25 Sept, 2 Oct, & 9 Oct)
- Nelson Leader (Available from Friday 25 Sept, 2 Oct, & 9 Oct)
- Clitheroe Advertiser
- Lytham St Annes Express
- Lancaster Guardian
- Hartlepool Mail
- The Visitor (Morecambe) (Available from Tuesday 22 Sept, 29 Sept, & 6 Oct)
Frequently Asked Questions
Adobe Reader is available to download for Windows PC and Apple Mac computers for free. Other PDF readers should also be able to open the form. If you are still unable to open the form – please contact our Customer Experience Centre.
Many local libraries provide access to a printer so you can print out the application form.
This offer is only available at staffed railway stations, please visit our stations page https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/stations to find the nearest staffed station.
Please contact Iconic Media Group on 0330 403 0066, where you will be able to order back copies of the relevant newspaper. You can also contact Iconic Media Group if you subscribe to an online version of your local paper and they can send paper version of participating issues to you.
The newspaper insertion dates are available to view on https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/newspaper-offer/iconic-media-group
Terms and Conditions
Terms and conditions
- Newspaper tokens available for sale from Monday 21st September 2026 –Thursday 15th October 2026. Tickets can be purchased no more than three days in advance of travel.
- 2. Travel is available between Monday 21st September 2026 – Thursday 22nd October 2026. One-day tickets are available every day for the duration of this offer. Weekend Explorer tickets are available each Saturday and Sunday between Saturday 26th September 2026 and Sunday 18th October 2026.
- 3. Time restrictions: only valid on trains timed to depart from 0845 Mondays to Fridays. Valid at any time, weekends, and Bank Holidays.
- 4. 3 tokens allow you to buy up to 4 Northern Day tickets or 4 Weekend tickets.
- 5. Price: Day ticket - adult £12.00 each / child £6.00 each for one day ticket OR Weekend ticket - £20.00 each / child £10.00 each for one weekend ticket - no further discounts available. *Children 5-15 years inclusive.
- 6. Valid on trains operated by Northern only. This offer is not valid for travel on Transport for Wales, Cross Country, LNER, East Midlands Trains, Hull Trains, TransPennine Express, Grand Central, London Midland, Merseyrail Electrics or Avanti West Coast services. There are no direct travel routes available on Northern services between Newcastle and York.
- 7. Affix 3 tokens from participating newspapers to the application form and take to any staffed station serviced by Northern Trains. The tickets for this offer cannot be purchased on trains.
- 8. Completed application forms are valid to purchase up to four Northern Day tickets or Weekend tickets (must include a minimum one adult ticket) for the same day/weekend of travel. Photocopies of tokens and application forms are not accepted.
Northern App
Streamline your journey and get tickets straight to your phone. Making your journey contact-free.
Northern App
Streamline your journey and get tickets straight to your phone. Making your journey contact-free.