Is the Nottingham tram the most expensive railway in the country?

[miklcct]

On the Nottingham tram, 2 stops down the line than £2.70 gone. The short-hop fare isn't available because the 2 stops cross the zonal boundary.

On my journey record I took 2 tram journeys on a day, Nottingham Station to Meadows Embankment then Meadows Embankment Old Market Square, a day cap of £4.70 was charged. The total distance travelled was 3.3 km, which worked out to be £1.42 / km and topped the price over distance in my record over 9 months.

Is this tramway the most expensive one in the country, or even the most expensive railway when taking all light and heavy rails into accounts as well, measured by fare over distance, in the country?

 

[plugwash]

Manchester metrolink seems to be £2.80 for a zone 1+2 single journey and £4.30 zone 1-2 peak travelcard/cap. So slightly higher on the single fare but lower on the cap. I don't know how the distances compare.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is this tramway the most expensive one in the country, or even the most expensive railway when taking all light and heavy rails into accounts as well, measured by fare over distance, in the country?

Believe that Edinburgh tram journeys that include the Airport stop are somewhat expensive. £6.50 for a single, particularly so for the short 1km (= half-a-mile) hop to Ingliston Park & Ride.

 

[pitdiver]

The NET isn't expensive for me as a resident of Nottinghamshire and a holder of an ENCTS I get free travel on it after 0930

 

[Andy Pacer]

Didn't realise anyone actually paid on it!

 

[Mal]

The NET isn't expensive for me as a resident of Nottinghamshire and a holder of an ENCTS I get free travel on it after 0930

Using a Lothian Day Ticket costing £4,50 a day, you can use the Edinburgh trams (from Ingliston Park & Ride) to the city centre from first to last service at night. This ticket also includes all Lothian Bus services as well! (See the Lothian Bus page for details!)

 

[pdeaves]

There seems to be two possible scenarios here, and it is important to compare like with like.
1. A single short journey (perhaps across a fare boundary); or
2. Travel all day on a rover type ticket.

I expect almost any system could be a contender for 'most expensive per mile' if a journey is carefully chosen to be as short as possible for the highest relevant fare as possible. Rover fares by contrast can be excellent (as Mal says) and could transform 'most expensive' to 'cheapest' (depending on exact journey details, of course).

 

[whoosh]

Is this tramway the most expensive one in the country, or even the most expensive railway when taking all light and heavy rails into accounts as well, measured by fare over distance, in the country?

Heathrow Express infamously more expensive than Concorde on a price per mile basis, when it first opened.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Heathrow Express infamously more expensive than Concorde on a price per mile basis, when it first opened.

That's as may have been the case, but the Heathrow Express isn't a tramway, is it?

 

[pdeaves]

That's as may have been the case, but the Heathrow Express isn't a tramway, is it?

From the original post (my bold):

or even the most expensive railway when taking all light and heavy rails into accounts as well

 

[miklcct]

From the original post (my bold):

I don't think that Heathrow Express now beats the Nottingham tram in terms of price over distance. At £25 / 23.55 km, it works out to be £1.06 / km.

 

[ChrisC]

There seems to be two possible scenarios here, and it is important to compare like with like.
1. A single short journey (perhaps across a fare boundary); or
2. Travel all day on a rover type ticket.

I expect almost any system could be a contender for 'most expensive per mile' if a journey is carefully chosen to be as short as possible for the highest relevant fare as possible. Rover fares by contrast can be excellent (as Mal says) and could transform 'most expensive' to 'cheapest' (depending on exact journey details, of course).

Totally agree. Short journeys on the Nottingham Tram, like any similar system are very expensive, especially if you have to travel in more than one fare zone. Whenever I use the NET, because I travel into the city from Hucknall, with a journey of length of almost 7 miles, £2.70 single or £4.70 for the daily cap is very good value.

In complete contrast yesterday I did a similar length journey outside of the Nottingham City area in the County of Nottinghamshire by bus. A journey of around 7 miles cost me £5.50 each way because I had to use both Stagecoach and Trent Barton buses. I thought a return journey of just under 14 miles costing £11, to get my flu jab was not good value. That’s what happens when I decide to leave my car at home and use public transport. That’s the level of fares people have to pay outside of large cities where there are no multi operator tickets available.

 

[ShadowKnight]

There are short hop tram tickets for £1 allowing travel between a few stops in pre defined zones. Can only be bought at the ticket machine tho

 

[philthetube]

Blackpool £2.90 for a 1 stop single, or £2.90 for an end to end one.

 

[MCR247]

There are short hop tram tickets for £1 allowing travel between a few stops in pre defined zones. Can only be bought at the ticket machine tho

I think these may have been withdrawn now, they aren’t advertised on the website in any case

 

[ChrisC]

I think these may have been withdrawn now, they aren’t advertised on the website in any case

I’ve noticed that the Event Tickets have also been withdrawn. I’ve been using these for years when going to the theatre. They did increase in price from £2.50 to £3 but now have disappeared from the machines. It’s quite a rise to £4.70 now for the day ticket.

 

[gnolife]

I had to do Kelvinhall to Partick on the subway yesterday (I was travelling with someone with extremely limited mobility) - £1.75 for less than half a mile

 

[D1537]

I’ve noticed that the Event Tickets have also been withdrawn. I’ve been using these for years when going to the theatre. They did increase in price from £2.50 to £3 but now have disappeared from the machines. It’s quite a rise to £4.70 now for the day ticket.

Yes, I spent ages looking for them on the machine a few weeks ago! Practically the *only* time we use the NET is to go to shows at Rock City, Rescue Rooms etc., which we do from one of the out-of-town Park and Rides. It's only a few quid occasionally I suppose, but it's mildly irritating.

A few venues, including Rock City and the Concert Hall, aren't aware and still advertise them on their websites.

 

[ShadowKnight]

I think these may have been withdrawn now, they aren’t advertised on the website in any case

That's unfortunate as I did last use it in August

 

[Falcon1200]

Surely the most expensive railway, in specific circumstances, has to be the London Underground; Should one take the train from Leicester Square to Covent Garden and pay cash, it will cost you £6.30! Hopefully most would opt for the 5-minute walk instead.

 

[totally]

Blackpool £.90 for a 1 stop single, or £2.90 for an end to end one.

Sorry not correct. Since 25th September a single ticket on the tram is now £2.90 between any two stops. There are no short distance fares. A return is £5.50 and an all day ticket, which includes the bus network is £6.60

 

[ShadowKnight]

I think these may have been withdrawn now, they aren’t advertised on the website in any case

Just checking a ticket machine now and the £1 short hop still is a ticket on the screen.

I think they just don't want people to use this type of ticket

 

[ChrisC]

That's unfortunate as I did last use it in August

I thought the Event Ticket had only been removed quite recently as I certainly used it a few times during this last summer. I didn’t read anywhere that it was going to be withdrawn so I also spent quite some time searching for it on the machine when I was going to the theatre a few weeks ago.

 

[D1537]

I thought the Event Ticket had only been removed quite recently as I certainly used it a few times during this last summer. I didn’t read anywhere that it was going to be withdrawn so I also spent quite some time searching for it on the machine when I was going to the theatre a few weeks ago.

It disappeared sometime between 27 August and 9 September which were the last two times we used NET.

 

[philthetube]

Sorry not correct. Since 25th September a single ticket on the tram is now £2.90 between any two stops. There are no short distance fares. A return is £5.50 and an all day ticket, which includes the bus network is £6.60

Sorry typo, now corrected.

 

[Bald Rick]

On the Nottingham tram, 2 stops down the line than £2.70 gone. The short-hop fare isn't available because the 2 stops cross the zonal boundary.

On my journey record I took 2 tram journeys on a day, Nottingham Station to Meadows Embankment then Meadows Embankment Old Market Square, a day cap of £4.70 was charged. The total distance travelled was 3.3 km, which worked out to be £1.42 / km and topped the price over distance in my record over 9 months.

Is this tramway the most expensive one in the country, or even the most expensive railway when taking all light and heavy rails into accounts as well, measured by fare over distance, in the country?

genuine question, and please don’t take offence, but do you go out of your way to find oddities like this? It’s a 10 minute walk from the station to Meadows embankment, and I can’t think of many people who would choose to use the tram rather than walk it, let alone young, fit runners like yourself.

(I know a few people who live in that part of Nottingham, and they always walk to the station).

 

[miklcct]

genuine question, and please don’t take offence, but do you go out of your way to find oddities like this? It’s a 10 minute walk from the station to Meadows embankment, and I can’t think of many people who would choose to use the tram rather than walk it, let alone young, fit runners like yourself.

(I know a few people who live in that part of Nottingham, and they always walk to the station).

I actually travelled on the tram having hurt my legs on the previous day.

 

[zero]

Surely the most expensive railway, in specific circumstances, has to be the London Underground; Should one take the train from Leicester Square to Covent Garden and pay cash, it will cost you £6.30! Hopefully most would opt for the 5-minute walk instead.

I knew someone would bring this up. It's not paying cash that makes it expensive though, it's buying a paper ticket. This costs £6.30 when paying by card too. If you have an Oyster, you can top it up with cash and travel for £2.50.

(Yes, since the Oyster fee stopped being refundable, if you have no oyster and this is the only public transport trip you are going to take in the TfL area for the rest of your life, and you know nobody else who is ever going to London again, then it's cheaper to buy the paper ticket.)

 

[miklcct]

(Yes, since the Oyster fee stopped being refundable, if you have no oyster and this is the only public transport trip you are going to take in the TfL area for the rest of your life, and you know nobody else who is ever going to London again, then it's cheaper to buy the paper ticket.)

You can use a contactless payment card and pay £2.50 for the journey,

 

[Falcon1200]

It's not paying cash that makes it expensive though, it's buying a paper ticket. This costs £6.30 when paying by card too.

Why would anyone pay £6.30 with their card for a paper ticket when they can pay £2.50 with the very same card contactlessly?!!

then it's cheaper to buy the paper ticket.

No it is not, having an Oyster is not required to get the £2.50 fare, as above.