Britain will no longer be part of Interrail scheme from next year

The pass allows holders to travel on almost all trains within Europe and is popular for students who are looking to explore the continent.

However from January 1 they will no longer cover the UK.

Eurail, which runs Interrail, announced today that it ended the membership of Britain's rail firms after they chose to stop selling Eurail passes.

Industry body the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said its members will stop participating in the programmes because it believes the separate BritRail pass is ‘the best option’ for visitors to Britain.

Interrail and Eurail passes entitle holders to travel across as many as 31 countries. The former are for European citizens, while the latter are for tourists from the rest of the world.

Passes purchased after January 1 next year will not be recognised by the country's train operators, although their use on Eurostar services is not affected by the decision.

RDG director of nations and regions Robert Nisbet said: ‘The rail industry boosts British tourism and working together, rail companies are offering the best option for tourists with BritRail, which is recommended by Visit Britain, offers two for one deals on 200 attractions across the country and includes the convenience of mobile tickets.

‘Although the Eurail Group has ended our decades-long membership of Interrail since we stopped trialling Eurail passes, British people will feel no difference - they can still buy an Interrail pass, get the Eurostar and travel by train across Europe.’