Travel between obscure stations

[crucible72]

There's a little question I've been wondering about.
What would happen if you present your ticket to the guard,
and he/she hasn't heard of either your origin station or your destination station?
This could happen if, for example, you are travelling between two little-known stations
(e.g. request stops) in different parts of the country. Would they have a way of telling
quickly that your ticket was valid, or could a dispute ensue? I know sometimes tickets say
on them something like "only valid via X" where X is usually a major station, but this isn't
always the case, or station "X" might only apply to one train of the journey.

 

[Hadders]

There's a little question I've been wondering about.
What would happen if you present your ticket to the guard,
and he/she hasn't heard of either your origin station or your destination station?
This could happen if, for example, you are travelling between two little-known stations
(e.g. request stops) in different parts of the country. Would they have a way of telling
quickly that your ticket was valid, or could a dispute ensue? I know sometimes tickets say
on them something like "only valid via X" where X is usually a major station, but this isn't
always the case, or station "X" might only apply to one train of the journey.

The member of staff might ask yu where the stations were. The price might indicate the distance involved. If all else fails then it's easier than ever for staff to look up where a place is on a mobile phone.

 

[transportphoto]

Some guards have very obscure knowledge of where places are.

For some tickets, the existence of a ‘+Any Permitted’ routing is a good indication that the destination is the other side of London (for example).

What would happen if they don’t know? They’ll probably either not care, ask, or figure it out themselves.

 

[InkyScrolls]

I was a guard for nearly three years and over that time my route/station geography became very extensive - towards the end it was very rare indeed for me to come across a station I had no idea about.

 

[Llanigraham]

I was once asked on an Avanti service to London where Caersws was.
He was quite happy with my explanation of between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth.

 

[Ianigsy]

I once bought a ticket from Menston to Birkenhead North about 20 years ago.

The booking clerk at Menston had never heard of Birkenhead North and the guard on the Central Trains service I took between Manchester and Liverpool didn’t know where Menston was.

It‘s occurred to me before now that you could probably travel across half the country with a ticket between two minor stations with no real clues as to where they were- Green Lane and Derby Road, say.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Used to routinely buy through tickets to a station on the Manchester Metrolink tram network in the past. Often provoked a "Where's that mate?" query, but the tickets were always then accepted when I explained they were to a destination on the Manchester tram network.

 

[trebor79]

Some guards have very obscure knowledge of where places are.

Yep, and some have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the timetables. Remember years ago on an XC from the north eas to Bristol, tmevery single ticket the guard checked "ah you're going to x, change at y onto the xxxx to somewhere, then change again onto the xxxx to somewhere else".
Quite remarkable.

 

[paul1609]

I once encountered a SWT guard who was suspicious as to why my season ticket to the "Welsh" station of Wye from Weymouth was valid on route "Edenbridge / Polegate"!

 

[sheff1]

Using long distance tickets from/to University soon after the station opened often made guards a bit unsure as to where it was. I was convinced in some cases that if I had said it was in Manchester, Liverpool etc they would have believed me. Why the station was/is not named University of Birmingham or University (Birmingham) who knows.

 

[Jan Mayen]

I wondered if there are station pairs which have never had a ticket issued. Dovey Junction to Altnabreac before it closed, perhaps?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I wondered if there are station pairs which have never had a ticket issued. Dovey Junction to Altnabreac before it closed, perhaps?

Good question, although one which is quite often raised, perhaps most recently here...

Question: Is there a route between two UK mainland stations that has never before been undertaken?

Rephrased another way, does anyone know whether there is a combination of two UK train stations (likely quiet ones) for which no tickets have been sold, and no passengers have ever travelled? This will help my mates and I, who are discussing this in the pub. I thought that it seemed sensible to...

www.railforums.co.uk

Usually results in posters suggesting random station pairs, which, however, are difficult to prove, one way or the other, if they have ever seen point to point ticket sales, albeit some are relatively close by to each other.

 

[SargeNpton]

Lake to The Lakes must cause some confusion.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Lake to The Lakes must cause some confusion.

The permitted route for which, if it's ever been issued, is not going to go anywhere near the Lake District!

 

[miklcct]

There's a little question I've been wondering about.
What would happen if you present your ticket to the guard,
and he/she hasn't heard of either your origin station or your destination station?
This could happen if, for example, you are travelling between two little-known stations
(e.g. request stops) in different parts of the country. Would they have a way of telling
quickly that your ticket was valid, or could a dispute ensue? I know sometimes tickets say
on them something like "only valid via X" where X is usually a major station, but this isn't
always the case, or station "X" might only apply to one train of the journey.

I tried to use a season ticket from a North London Line station to Herne Hill which didn't operate the barriers at another North London Line station. The station staff didn't know where Herne Hill is and has to ask (it is in South London).

 

[mangyiscute]

Yeah I sometimes travel on tickets with quite obscure stations and I'm convinced a lot of the guards glance at it and just nod because they know it's easier than trying to work out where the stations are - for some of these journeys they can see its any permitted and the fare is like £50 so there's a good chance that it is valid since it's clearly a fairly long journey - who's gonna pay £50 and then fare evade with the ticket?

 

[Gloster]

Slightly off topic and something I have mentioned before. Back in 1983 or 1983 when Priv. tickets were still the blue Edmondson type issued between specific stations I did not use all my allocation one year (the only year that I didn’t). As a private joke I applied for my last one from Rodwell to Crowden (closed 1952 and 1957, respectively). It was issued. I wonder what would have happened if I had tried to use it: if it was a Weymouth guard on my first or last train I might have been rumbled.

 

[The exile]

Remember having a hand written ticket from Bristol Temple Meads to Clifton at some point back in the late 80s. Had it not been the evening I might have been tempted to see how far towards Manchester it would have got me- though the 30p fare would have made it pretty clear that the word “Down” had simply been omitted.

 

[crucible72]

Some station pairs don't even seem to be possible. If I look them up on the national rail website, it says the
journey requires multiple tickets, if I try a TOC website the journey comes up with an error message.
Would these combinations still be possible to purchase with only one ticket from a ticket office?

 

[Haywain]

Would these combinations still be possible to purchase with only one ticket from a ticket office?

No. If there isn't a fare, there isn't a fare.

 

[nw1]

Some station pairs don't even seem to be possible. If I look them up on the national rail website, it says the
journey requires multiple tickets, if I try a TOC website the journey comes up with an error message.
Would these combinations still be possible to purchase with only one ticket from a ticket office?

Not something like Penzance to Wick?

I tried looking that up, and it isn't possible to do in a single day.

Remarkable when you can possibly get as far as Vienna (again haven't checked) from London in a single day.

 

[Haywain]

Not something like Penzance to Wick?

I tried looking that up, and it isn't possible to do in a single day.

Remarkable when you can possibly get as far as Vienna (again haven't checked) from London in a single day.

I don't think it's all that remarkable when much of the Penzance to Wick journey is through sparsely populated areas without a major city at the end of the journey. Your alternative of Vienna taps in to the European high speed network, linking major cities.

 

[crucible72]

Not something like Penzance to Wick?

I tried looking that up, and it isn't possible to do in a single day.

Remarkable when you can possibly get as far as Vienna (again haven't checked) from London in a single day.

You can actually get a fare for that one, albeit it takes longer than a day like you say.
I was thinking more like the suggestion we had of Lake to The Lakes.
Some stations also have have very infrequent services so that may be a reason for them not being possible.

 

[Snapper37]

Anybody remember the promotion for young person railcards in the 80’s? Any ticket was either 4,8, or £12. I brought a lot of odd return tickets. Sandplace to Ardgay sort of thing. Was like having a cheep all line rover

 

[Haywain]

Anybody remember the promotion for young person railcards in the 80’s? Any ticket was either 4,8, or £12. I brought a lot of odd return tickets. Sandplace to Ardgay sort of thing. Was like having a cheep all line rover

I can remember doing one of those in 1982, from Furze Platt to Golf Street Halt (not that I went to either of those stations!).

 

[Snapper37]

I can remember doing one of those in 1982, from Furze Platt to Golf Street Halt (not that I went to either of those stations!).

Even on the local train on the Cornish main line, the guard told me, “I hope you know where that is, cos I haven’t a clue…”

 

[nw1]

I can remember doing one of those in 1982, from Furze Platt to Golf Street Halt (not that I went to either of those stations!).

I can claim to have visited Furze Platt for non enthusiast related purposes (someone I know lived there). As a result, I did both the Henley and Marlow branches in quite a short period of time, more than 30 years after I had first visited Reading.

Not in 1982 though, and not on a Young Persons railcard, sadly.

I wonder if even something like Bentley to Furness Vale would confuse some guards - i.e. two relatively minor stations but both having a regular service.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

I was thinking more like the suggestion we had of Lake to The Lakes.

I actually looked up Lake to The Lakes when it was mentioned, purely out of interest, and got 3 journeys taking just under 7 hours, eg:

Lake - Ryde Esplanade - (walk) - Ryde Hoverport - (Hovertravel) - Southsea Hoverport - (bus) - Portsmouth & Southsea - London Waterloo - (tube) - London Euston - Birmingham New Street - (walk) - Birmingham Moor Street - The Lakes

Sounds like fun!

 

[SargeNpton]

I actually looked up Lake to The Lakes when it was mentioned, purely out of interest, and got 3 journeys taking just under 7 hours, eg:

Lake - Ryde Esplanade - (walk) - Ryde Hoverport - (Hovertravel) - Southsea Hoverport - (bus) - Portsmouth & Southsea - London Waterloo - (tube) - London Euston - Birmingham New Street - (walk) - Birmingham Moor Street - The Lakes

Sounds like fun!

Lake - Ryde Pier Head - (ferry) - Portsmouth Harbour - London Waterloo - (tube) - London Euston - Birmingham New Street - (walk) - Birmingham Moor Street - The Lakes is less faf and probably a bit cheaper than using the hovercraft.

 

[Killingworth]

Back in 1966 I booked a return from West Jesmond (now Tyne & Wear Metro) to Haslemere. Both quite busy stations so probably not obscure enough for this thread!