NORTHERN is offering students across Cheshire half-price train tickets for the entire academic year.

The train operator hopes the discount will convince children under 16 and their parents or guardians to convert their school run from road to rail.

The discount is available until Friday, September 20 through Northern’s Under 16 Education Season Ticket scheme.

Families could save several hundred pounds.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “As well as providing a significant saving on the cost of the school commute, U16 Education Season Tickets can be used at weekends and bank holidays too – not just the 195 days a year that schools are open.

“We have a long-running campaign to encourage people to convert from road to rail.

“If we can get young people in the habit while they’re at school, we hope they will stick with it when they move into further education or the workplace.”

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.

For details visit www.northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/educational-season