Least popular journeys made between two stations served by a direct train? Based on tickets sold?

[richard1976]

What about between Botanic & City Hospital in Belfast, journey is only timetabled to take 2 minutes

 

[Scotrail84]

Slateford to Kingsknowe return.

Kingsknowe to Westerhailes return.

Markinch to Glentrothes With Thornton return

 

[185143]

I doubt many people (if anyone at all) travels between Chester-le-Street and Newton-le-Willows.

I nearly did yesterday!

I doubt many people have travelled from Altnabreac to Scotscalder.

I've done Reddish South to Denton. Must be quite a few combinations on the Heart of Wales line, or in fact pretty much anything that doesn't involve Shrewsbury-Craven Arms, Knighton, Llandrindod Wells, Llandovery and Llanelli onwards.

 

[John Griffiths]

Manors to Newcastle (or vice-versa)?

 

[backontrack]

Quite possibly. I'd venture that most "odd" journeys on the Far North sold to enthusiasts involve one or both of Altnabreac and Dunrobin Castle. Scotscalder is in the middle of nowhere but nowhere near as quirky as either of those.

If you get the train at Scotscalder, odds are you're going to Thurso (unless you're @FelixtheCat). If you get the train at Culrain or Invershin, it's much less certain where you're going; Tain, Ardgay, Lairg, Golspie, Brora and Helmsdale are all potential ports of call if you want to go to the bank, or the supermarket, or meet a friend. It's more dispersed demand, as the local amenities are a little more spread out; so you're probably going to sell tickets to several different stations on the line.

Scotscalder hits the sweet spot: not a statistics regular (Altnabreac, Kildonan), oriented towards a specific destination (Thurso rather than the east coast towns/villages), low usage (<200 in last year's figures), and the only settlement of any size, Halkirk, is already in the catchment area of another station (Georgemas Junction). It probably gets enough usage from surrounding farms to keep it above the 100 tickets-per-year mark to avoid attracting *too* much attention from enthusiasts, but this usage is going to be heavily geared towards Thurso (though not completely so; Wick and Inverness probably make up the rest, with about one journey to somewhere like Helmsdale each year, maybe? and perhaps a novelty ticket from Altnabreac?).

In short, it's perfect for this thread. I bet there's several stations on the FNL where they've never sold tickets to Scotscalder. Probably a decent portion of them. The Far North Line isn't a line of utter isolation - it's often mischaracterised as one, despite serving a string of communities with more population than any of the other Scottish scenic lines (beating out the West Highland; the issue is that the line has, relatively speaking, a bit of untapped potential) - but where it gets isolated, it's really isolated.

In H.A. Vallance's history of the Highland Railway, he writes - in a section amusingly titled "The Snow Fiend" - of 1918 and a series of snowdrifts at Scotscalder, which were so bad that the Euston-Thurso Naval special got snowed up a short distance behind the snowplough that was supposed to clear the line. They hand to send up a relief train. It took a week to fully clear the line so that normal services can resume. It must have been a pretty dire experience; I can't think of many places I'd want to be snowed into a steam train in, but at Scotscalder? that would be pretty frightening, especially as night fell.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

On the Cambrian Coast line, wonder where tickets to/from Abererch are issued, possibly Pwllheli, Criccieth, Porthmadog and then not too many other places.

 

[MrEd]

Some in East Anglia might be worth a try, too. I wonder how many Melton-Brampton get sold on the East Suffolk line? Or Salhouse-Roughton Road in Norfolk?

 

[haggishunter]

I‘d say that in rural Scotland, a ticket like Loch Eil Outward Bound-Beasdale, Ardlui-Tulloch, Lochluichart-Attadale, or Fearn-Scotscalder (possibly even Dunkeld-Carrbridge) stands much more of a chance of never being sold, as such journeys are of little use to any community and are probably too long/expensive for enthusiasts merely looking for the novelty factor.

Done that journey, should have got a t-shirt by the sounds of things!

 

[fishquinn]

I‘d say that in rural Scotland, a ticket like Loch Eil Outward Bound-Beasdale, Ardlui-Tulloch, Lochluichart-Attadale, or Fearn-Scotscalder (possibly even Dunkeld-Carrbridge) stands much more of a chance of never being sold, as such journeys are of little use to any community and are probably too long/expensive for enthusiasts merely looking for the novelty factor.

Been there done that

 

[Esker-pades]

Dunkeld & Birnam can be a useful point for splitting tickets. I've got a Dunkeld to Dalwhinnie ticket because of it.

 

[Trackman]

Haha no. When I used to bag stations outside of the North West, I used to drive through the night and bag them and recreate at nearby spots such as a beach, landmark or even an open McDonald's.

It's a useful tactic when in scenic or busy parts of the country. I was able to time the Cambrian Coast bagging session to finish just as the Costa Coffee opened in Pwllheli the following morning to perk me up.

Are you the guy who’s been in the press about this?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Haha no. When I used to bag stations outside of the North West, I used to drive through the night and bag them and recreate at nearby spots such as a beach, landmark or even an open McDonald's.

It's a useful tactic when in scenic or busy parts of the country. I was able to time the Cambrian Coast bagging session to finish just as the Costa Coffee opened in Pwllheli the following morning to perk me up.

"It's a useful tactic when risking killing people in a road accident just so you can tick off a few stations" is I think what you meant.

Don't drive through the night unless you're properly adjusted for a night shift i.e. sleeping properly during the day. Just don't.

 

[Parallel]

Noone probably does Bath Spa to Oldfield Prk tickets either , a 2 mins journey duplicated by several bus services and it's not that far I'm walking terms

I don’t think there are many but my friend used to do this, as she lived adjacent to Oldfield Park station and when she went shopping, she timed it so she could hop on the train and it took 2 minutes to central Bath. Depending on the traffic, the buses can take a lot longer. It’s around a 25 minute walk between the stations I think

I'd hazard Dovey Junction to wherever a train reaches. It's in the middle of nowhere, no road access, just a station. Does anyone ever get on or off there?

Like maybe someone on one branch catching a train to the other branch. But changeover is in Macchynleth anyway and you don't really save any time by getting off and waiting for the other train anyway.

Not every journey is a change at Machynlleth. I used a train last week from the Cambrian Coast to Aberystwyth that was around a 10-12 minute connection at Dovey Junction.

There is also access to near the station via a track, and a small number of houses nearby in the adjacent hamlet. That said, I can’t imagine Dovey Junction to Abererch is a popular journey...

 

[Jamesrob637]

Burnage to either East Didsbury or Mauldeth Road. You can see both stations in each direction from Burnage.

Davenport to Woodsmoor.

Heaton Chapel to Levenshulme may get a few per year but certainly most people in these areas work in Manchester or Stockport.

 

[hermit]

I‘d say that in rural Scotland, a ticket like Loch Eil Outward Bound-Beasdale, Ardlui-Tulloch, Lochluichart-Attadale, or Fearn-Scotscalder (possibly even Dunkeld-Carrbridge) stands much more of a chance of never being sold, as such journeys are of little use to any community and are probably too long/expensive for enthusiasts merely looking for the novelty factor.

As far as the West Highland line is concerned, the Kyle line, and to some extent the Highland main line, it’s not just the (small) local communities or railway enthusiasts that are involved - many of these stations are important jumping-off points for Munro-baggers and other hillwalkers. There are many opportunities for day traverses or even multi-day expeditions between some quite unlikely pairs of stations. Apart from the well-known ones at Corrour and Rannoch, such stations as Tulloch, Bridge of Orchy, Ardlui, Achnasheen and Achnashellach must see quite a lot of tickets sold for such trips.

I have bought tickets from Corpach to Corrour, and Euston to Attadale, and have done the traverse from Corrour to Dalwhinnie (admittedly not on the same line).

 

[Gathursty]

"It's a useful tactic when risking killing people in a road accident just so you can tick off a few stations" is I think what you meant.

Don't drive through the night unless you're properly adjusted for a night shift i.e. sleeping properly during the day. Just don't.

Clearly sound advice. I wouldn't recommend it if you didn't have a good night sleep beforehand or had some idea of somewhere you can pause and rest too. I think I became a bit of a regular at Beaconsfield service station at one point.

Are you the guy who’s been in the press about this?

Yup. Still here.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Clearly sound advice. I wouldn't recommend it if you didn't have a good night sleep beforehand or had some idea of somewhere you can pause and rest too. I think I became a bit of a regular at Beaconsfield service station at one point.


Yup. Still here.

Hope you did the Wetherspoon at Beaconsfield services

 

[Gathursty]

Hope you did the Wetherspoon at Beaconsfield services

It was before Wetherspoon opened there but have had breakfast there last year. Just a standard Spoons really.

 

[Trackman]

Yup. Still here.

I didn't think they'd be two of you!

 

[Gathursty]

I didn't think they'd be two of you!

My forehead is easily confused for Geoff Marshall's.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Ince & Elton to Stanlow & Thornton (one train a day SSuX at 1800)

 

[frodshamfella]

I bet some enthusiast or other has done. Any route with a Parly or almost-Parly service is going to end up like that, though expect the security guards at Stanlow to be very interested and to either escort you off or watch that you do leave by train (if possible).

Probably your right there.

 

[mike57]

I suspect there are a few on the Yorkshire Coast line, Arram to any of the smaller stations, and in 15 years of using Bempton I have never seen anyone do Bempton - Hunmanby or reverse

 

[andy1571]

Gravesend to Ashford International? There’s probably a fair few tickets sold, but I doubt many would take the “direct” train!

When I travelled on the Ellesmere Port branch, a family boarded at Ince and Elton and left at Stanlow, before doing the reverse on the way back. I suspect some locals close to Parliamentary services do similar in order to make the point that there are users of local stations.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

Id have a guess that Newcastle to Manors is little used.

I did that journey once, and because I actually needed to go somewhere near Manors. I was travelling with a bicycle and so couldn't use the Metro.

 

[typefish]

Id have a guess that Newcastle to Manors is little used.

What's really bizarre is I've seen a picture of a Newcastle/Manors season ticket - why would someone need such a thing

 

[fishquinn]

What's really bizarre is I've seen a picture of a Newcastle/Manors season ticket - why would someone need such a thing

A Newcastle ticket gate pass for fare evading further afield.

 

[NorthOxonian]

What's really bizarre is I've seen a picture of a Newcastle/Manors season ticket - why would someone need such a thing

I suspect the above explanation is the case, but a Newcastle-Manors weekly season ticket does undercut both the equivalent metro weekly ticket (by £2.40), and the bus season ticket for that journey (by £6.00). So if someone lived near Manors, worked near Central Station, and didn't like walking, it might represent a decent investment.

Of course those alternative season tickets would be valid over a much wider area (central Newcastle/Gateshead and the entire city respectively).

 

[Scotrail84]

A Newcastle ticket gate pass for fare evading further afield.

I've also seen an Edinburgh Waverley to Haymarket season ticket. Same reason as above, this pass was produced near Croy.

 

[D6975]

There used to be such a thing as an Annual season ticket holder’s railcard. I knew several people who would find out what the cheapest AST fare was and buy one in order to get the railcard. It wasn’t always the same year on year. Examples I can recall are Sheffield-Attercliffe Rd and then Manchester Oxford Rd-Piccadilly when Attercliffe Rd closed.