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Furthest distance in UK by train for cheapest walk up fare?

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peteb

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I was wondering whats the furthest distance you can travel on mainland GB railways for the cheapest walk-up fare, i.e. pence per mile? This could include day returns which give 2x distance for only a few pence more, but excludes advance singles as these have to be booked.

Sorry, should say excludes rovers!
 
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NorthOxonian

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I believe this may have come up before - it'll be hard to beat a day return from Margate to Weymouth via Barnham, which is £28.80. By my reckoning, that's about 450 miles return, so around 6-7p per mile.
 

SussexMan

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I was wondering whats the furthest distance you can travel on mainland GB railways for the cheapest walk-up fare, i.e. pence per mile?

What is the furthest AND cheapest??? Surely that doesn't make sense. There will be a fare out there which is the cheapest per mile but how can you then also say "furthest"? Please explain further...
 

JonathanH

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Weymouth to Birchington via Barnham is £28.80 off-peak day return for 225 miles each way

I believe this may have come up before - it'll be hard to beat a day return from Margate to Weymouth via Barnham, which is £28.80. By my reckoning, that's about 450 miles return, so around 6-7p per mile.
Birchington is in the same fare group as Margate and slightly further.
 

NorthOxonian

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Birchington is in the same fare group as Margate and slightly further.
I thought it might be, but looking at the routing guide I think you have to go via Faversham if you're going from Margate/Birchington, and so the distance from Margate is a little further (since you'd go through Birchington on the way).

I could be wrong, of course!
 

scrapy

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Preston to Edinburgh or Glasgow £38.80 (TPE only off peak day return) or £42.90 (any operator off peak day return).
 

Mcr Warrior

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Preston to Edinburgh or Glasgow £38.80 (TPE only off peak day return) or £42.90 (any operator off peak day return).
I have the any operator CDR fare via Carlisle as £42.30 from Chorley/Preston to Edinburgh. (60p more for Glasgow). Still a bargain, IMHO.
 
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JonathanH

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I thought it might be, but looking at the routing guide I think you have to go via Faversham if you're going from Margate/Birchington, and so the distance from Margate is a little further (since you'd go through Birchington on the way).

I could be wrong, of course!
Where do you go after Faversham from Margate to get to Barnham? Wouldn't it fail the fare check when using Faversham as a routeing point - there being no route Barnham ticket for Weymouth to Faversham.
 

NorthOxonian

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Where do you go after Faversham from Margate to get to Barnham? Wouldn't it fail the fare check when using Faversham as a routeing point - there being no route Barnham ticket for Weymouth to Faversham.
I assumed the route was Margate > Faversham > Canterbury East > (walk to) Canterbury West > Ashford International (and then on to Weymouth).

In fairness, my mistake is that I didn't realise that the route came into the fare check - I just assumed that because Ramsgate fails the check for Any Permitted it wasn't ever an option.
 

Ianno87

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Journeys like Exmouth to Penzance have absurdly cheap day return fares.

The Greater Anglia Super Off Peak Day Return from Cambridge to Liverpool Street is also a bargain (as is the Greater Anglia Super Off Peak Day Travelcard)


I have the any operator CDR fare via Carlisle as £42.30 from Chorley/Preston to Edinburgh. (60p more for Glasgow). Still a bargain, IMHO.

The fares group also extends to cover journeys like Adlington (Lancs) to Cumbernauld.
 

JonathanH

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fairness, my mistake is that I didn't realise that the route came into the fare check - I just assumed that because Ramsgate fails the check for Any Permitted it wasn't ever an option.
Maybe my mistake - the routeing point calculator doesn't appear to allow Ramsgate but that seems to be because there wasn't a 'via Barnham' fare in NFM64.

The intention would certainly appear to be that the route should be Weymouth - Southampton - Brighton - Ashford - Margate given the fares don't extend any further round the north part of the Thanet coast.
 

peteb

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What is the furthest AND cheapest??? Surely that doesn't make sense. There will be a fare out there which is the cheapest per mile but how can you then also say "furthest"? Please explain further...
I think the other respondents have understood my query, that is to go the furthest for the least outlay. Sorry if the question was ambiguous.

Journeys like Exmouth to Penzance have absurdly cheap day return fares.

The Greater Anglia Super Off Peak Day Return from Cambridge to Liverpool Street is also a bargain (as is the Greater Anglia Super Off Peak Day Travelcard)




The fares group also extends to cover journeys like Adlington (Lancs) to Cumbernauld.
Does this allow Glasgow via Dumfries, back via Carstairs? That question for Mcr Warrior!
 

Watershed

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The Greater Anglia Super Off Peak Day Return from Cambridge to Liverpool Street is also a bargain (as is the Greater Anglia Super Off Peak Day Travelcard)
I got a knowing smile when I asked for that ticket on Sunday, for a journey between London and Bishops Stortford. It was nearly a third cheaper than buying the "normal" ticket, and would have been valid for a distance nearly twice as long.
 

Mcr Warrior

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Does this allow Glasgow via Dumfries, back via Carstairs? That question for Mcr Warrior!
I've previously done Preston -> Edinburgh on a CDR, out via Dumfries and Glasgow Ctl/QS and then, later on, back from Edinburgh via Carstairs.
 

route101

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Preston to Edinburgh or Glasgow £38.80 (TPE only off peak day return) or £42.90 (any operator off peak day return).
Use them that day return from Glasgow often, only downside is you can only use it after 0915am. Saturday best day to use.
 

Mcr Warrior

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Use them that day return from Glasgow often, only downside is you can only use it after 0915am. Saturday best day to use.
Restriction code B1 for the CDR ticket on that flow is for travel after 0929 Mon-Fri but think the first weekday Southbound WCML train from Glasgow Central at around that time is not until 0940 anyway, so not a major issue.
 

MikeWM

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I got a knowing smile when I asked for that ticket on Sunday, for a journey between London and Bishops Stortford. It was nearly a third cheaper than buying the "normal" ticket, and would have been valid for a distance nearly twice as long.

Though beware that there is now a 'no break of journey' condition on that one, presumably for this reason.

They also tend to not work any ticket barriers at all, even the obvious ones like Cambridge and Liverpool Street. The Travelcard version does work in London Underground ones, but that's about it.
 

Watershed

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Though beware that there is now a 'no break of journey' condition on that one, presumably for this reason.
If they intend the fare to carry that restriction, they certainly haven't done enough to make it enforceable. I wasn't informed of any such restriction when I bought the ticket; even when buying online you are simply told to refer to the restriction code, FA, which just says:

Restriction Code FA
Applicable days Mondays to Fridays
Outward TravelReturn Travel
Not valid on any train, Mondays to Fridays.Not valid on any train, Mondays to Fridays.

They also tend to not work any ticket barriers at all, even the obvious ones like Cambridge and Liverpool Street. The Travelcard version does work in London Underground ones, but that's about it.
Yes, that was my experience too.
 

MikeWM

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If they intend the fare to carry that restriction, they certainly haven't done enough to make it enforceable. I wasn't informed of any such restriction when I bought the ticket; even when buying online you are simply told to refer to the restriction code, FA, which just says:

There was a debate about this a couple of years ago on here:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/break-of-journey-at-stansted-airport.183584/

It doesn't look like the situation regarding giving the passenger 'correct' information has improved since :-/

Though BRFares has been updated to say you can't do break-of-journey.

Yes, that was my experience too.

These tickets have been around for over three years now - it does seem particularly poor that they haven't at least reprogrammed Cambridge, Liverpool Street and Tottenham Hale to accept them.
 

Bletchleyite

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There was a debate about this a couple of years ago on here:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/break-of-journey-at-stansted-airport.183584/

It doesn't look like the situation regarding giving the passenger 'correct' information has improved since :-/

Though BRFares has been updated to say you can't do break-of-journey.

This is an odd one as they've done it at ticket type level rather than the "correct" way of doing it at restriction code level. Goodness only knows why.
 

route101

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Restriction code B1 for the CDR ticket on that flow is for travel after 0929 Mon-Fri but think the first weekday Southbound WCML train from Glasgow Central at around that time is not until 0940 anyway, so not a major issue.

Yes, the 0940 is the first train you can use it, though for some reason I think I may of used the 0906 TPE with this ticket. Its a useful ticket, as it can often be cheaper than two advances. TPE offer cheap advances but they can be restrictive with fewer services to use.

Avanti advances on Glasgow to Preston have been expensive last few weeks.
 

Mcr Warrior

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Yes, the 0940 is the first train you can use it, though for some reason I think I may of have used the 0906 TPE with this ticket. Its a useful ticket, as it can often be cheaper than two advances.
Not sure that is normally permitted, certainly not on a Mon-Fri other than on a Bank Holiday.
 
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