Hang on, it’s now cheaper to fly to New York from Manchester than get a train to London

If you're despairing about where to spend your Christmas this year, it is now cheaper to buy a last minute single eight hour flight to New York from Manchester than it is to buy a train ticket to London, a three hour journey.

That's right, you can head to the Big Apple for just £300, compared to a £338 spend on a return ticket to London Euston from Manchester Piccadilly.

Sky presenter Martha Kelner has lashed out at Virgin Trains for being a "national disgrace" after having to pay £338 on a return ticket from London to Manchester. A Virgin Trains spokesperson has stated that Martha could have paid, as the "vast majority" do, around £23 for a train journey from London to Manchester, when booked at the right time.

Speaking to a few Manchester students who regularly return home to London via the train, they have suggested they often have no such luck for such a cheap fare, as suggested the "vast majority" do.

Speaking to The Manchester Tab, University of Manchester student Tilly, who lives in London, has found that this time of the year in particular it is usually a lot more expensive regardless of the date, and costs around £70 for a round trip from Manchester to London, or a £40 single on average.

Another university student who returns home to London said they have paid as much as £88 for a return booking, booked one week in advance.

Train tickets are set to rise further by 3.1 per cent in January, which Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has criticised as "one kick in the teeth after another".

The Manchester Tab also recently found that Manchester Oxford Road is the worst station for delays in the UK.