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Cost of single ticket depends on direction of travel?

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rootage

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Hi all,

Just a quick question that piqued my curiosity - how common is it for the cost of a single ticket to vary based on the direction of travel? For instance, looking at Twyford to London Paddington and the reverse journey:

Twyford - Paddington: Currently £15.10 Anytime Day Single (not via Reading), or £15.50 following the 2020 fare increase
Paddington - Twyford: Currently £15.20 Anytime Day Single (not via Reading), or £15.70 following the 2020 fare increase

Interestingly, both of these become £14.70 during peak and £8.30 during off-peak with the rollout of TfL contactless.

Thanks!
 
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Hadders

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This is quite common and reflects the peak loading.

A far bigger differential exists between Stevenage and London and London and Stevenage.
 
Haywain

Haywain

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Far from unusual. What is really unusual is to find a case were a season ticket price varies by direction!
 
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Joe Paxton

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Haywain said:
Far from unusual. What is really unusual is to find a case were a season ticket price varies by direction!
Click to expand...

I'm curious as to how many examples of directionally-priced season tickets actually exist?
 
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Pumperkin

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Joe Paxton said:
I'm curious as to how many examples of directionally-priced season tickets actually exist?
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Up until at least last year, a Kidderminster to Worcester 7 day season was 10p more than the reverse (£25.20 / £25.10) . I always tried to get my upcoming week the day before to take advantage. Apparently it's possibly to do with the software update on the terminal. Not sure if it's been corrected as I haven't had a season for a while.
 
Haywain

Haywain

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Starmill said:
I'm aware of only one example and it was fixed when it came to the attention of the company.
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The one I'm aware of is for a first class season, on a journey of around 40 miles. There is a price increase of 10% (over the cheaper direction) by reversing the origin and destination.
 
kieron

kieron

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Joe Paxton said:
I'm curious as to how many examples of directionally-priced season tickets actually exist?
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Across the network there are hundreds, maybe more. The biggest numerical difference I've found is an "any permitted" Llanelli-London Terminals annual season, which costs £13620, or £3040 extra if you buy it in the other direction.

I haven't tried to work out (for example) if a route (00600) "KENSNGTN OLYMPIA" season ticket from Ascot to Milton Keynes gives different permissions to a (00760) "KEN OLYMPIA" one in the other direction, or if it's just a more version of the same thing.
 
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Fleetwood Boy

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I’m bemused by how this works with seasons because they just allow unlimited travel within the limits of the two named stations. Surely the differential is completely unenforceable?
 
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A Challenge

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Fleetwood Boy said:
I’m bemused by how this works with seasons because they just allow unlimited travel within the limits of the two named stations. Surely the differential is completely unenforceable?
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You can buy the cheaper season ticket if you want to and there is no difference in validity, however it may be easier to buy at the start station for the ticket, if you don't want the train company to realise that there is a difference and raise the lower one to make up for it.
 
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