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

[peteb]

I bought a day return from Malvern Link to Kingham on a direct train yesterday. The booking clerk commented that they didn't sell many of those. This got me thinking, which might be the least popular journeys between two stations served by a direct train? I mean tickets sold specifically between those points. (Clearly if one had a rover one could hop on and off stations along a route).

 

[yorkie]

Someone with access to LENNON would know the sales data, but collating that with timetable data to exclude any fare combination that cannot be done on a direct train would be tricky.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's a thoroughly intriguing question. I was going to say Reddish South to Denton, but lots of enthusiasts probably buy stuff like that even if they never travel. Wouldn't surprise me if it was two arbitrary points on a commuter line where almost everyone is going into the big city at the end. I'm going to venture that there isn't much demand from, say, the small, pleasant village of Broadbottom to the rathole that is Hattersley - but then maybe some put up with it as they work in the big Tesco there. Or then it could be something like the two hardly-used stations in the middle of the Cumbrian Coast.

Actually, even more unlikely on the Hadfield line - I would venture the opinion that there were perhaps zero tickets sold from Hattersley to Ardwick? (There is only a westbound service from Ardwick at present, which is intriguing).

I would imagine there are at least some where the sales are actually zero even though the fare exists, so there will be quite a number of answers to this question.

 

[scrapy]

There's probably loads that don't have a single ticket sold in a year. Clifton to Meols Cop, Alsager to Peartree and Heald Green to Salwick can all be done on direct trains but I would be surprised if any tickets are sold between them.

 

[JB_B]

Probably very few (if any) tickets sold from Sugar Loaf to Llangynllo and I guess similar pairs of lightly used Heart of Wales stations.

 

[mjmason1996]

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

 

[Qwerty133]

I imagine another candidate for zero sales would be tickets between a parkway station and stations either side of them (where that station isn't the city for which the station was designed). I can't think of a singular reason why anyone travelling to Long Eaton would park at East Midlands Parkway for instance and as the station is in the middle of nowhere it's not as though there's a local demand for the journey (the only possible exception being staff members working at East Midlands parkway but these wouldn't be buying tickets as the service is operated by the same company as the station is staffed by meaning they would be entitled to free travel).

 

[Doctor Fegg]

I bought a day return from Malvern Link to Kingham on a direct train yesterday. The booking clerk commented that they didn't sell many of those.

Probably more than Malvern Link to Shipton (and yes, there are direct trains on Saturday at least...).

 

[thejuggler]

In my area I doubt there are many Apperley Bridge to Kirkstall Forge tickets sold. Both are predominantly P&R stations for Leeds.

 

[yorkie]

I imagine another candidate for zero sales would be tickets between a parkway station and stations either side of them (where that station isn't the city for which the station was designed). I can't think of a singular reason why anyone travelling to Long Eaton would park at East Midlands Parkway for instance and as the station is in the middle of nowhere it's not as though there's a local demand for the journey (the only possible exception being staff members working at East Midlands parkway but these wouldn't be buying tickets as the service is operated by the same company as the station is staffed by meaning they would be entitled to free travel).

Anyone who travels between (say) Sheffield & East Midlands Parkway who is savvy will be using a splitting site and will therefore be sold a Long Eaton <> East Midlands Parkway ticket (if not they will likely be offered splits at Beeston it Derby)

So, while no-one may actually travel from Long Eaton to EMD, you will find the number of fares actually sold won't be as low as you expect

 

[ABB125]

University to Selly Oak?

 

[Bletchleyite]

University to Selly Oak?

I was going to say "I reckon there will be loads of those", but while many will certainly make that journey (from the uni itself to the main student housing area of Brum) I imagine equally many don't bother paying!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Any two shacks on a largely rural line might well be valid for the purposes of this thread, how is anyone going to be able to verify?

For what its worth, I'll go with Conon Bridge and Altnabreac on the Far North Line.

 

[NorthOxonian]

I remember a trip to Devon I did last year. The guard told me that while I wasn't the only person he'd ever seen with a Basingstoke to Pinhoe ticket (since it's a good split for travel to Exeter), I was the only person he'd ever seen who was actually doing that as a journey! That said, I suspect Overton to Pinhoe would be even less used.

But my actual final guess would be a small Tyne Valley line station to a small Esk Valley line station (with only one daily through train available). How about Riding Mill to Kildale?

 

[Sprinter107]

University to Selly Oak?

There are quite a few that do that journey, and there are barriers at University, so they would pay.

 

[ABB125]

I was going to say "I reckon there will be loads of those", but while many will certainly make that journey (from the uni itself to the main student housing area of Brum) I imagine equally many don't bother paying!

There are quite a few that do that journey, and there are barriers at University, so they would pay.

I'm surprised by that, I'd just walk along the canal!

 

[DanNCL]

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

 

[Sprinter107]

I'm surprised by that, I'd just walk along the canal!

Me too. Its a really pleasant walk from Five Ways station thro to Bournville Station along the canal. Done it many times.

 

[Flange Squeal]

I can't imagine many people do the full length Liverpool to Norwich (or more local stations towards each end, such as Widnes to Attleborough)?

 

[Jamesrob637]

I can't imagine many people do the full length Liverpool to Norwich (or more local stations towards each end, such as Widnes to Attleborough)?

Liverpool yes but maybe something such as Thetford to Widnes isn't very popular?

 

[GlitterUnicorn]

What about the Caledonian Sleeper?

While it's theoretically possible to make a journey like Tulloch to Carstairs or Preston as a direct journey, I doubt anyone does it.

 

[yorksrob]

Any takers for Pevensey and Westham to Polegate, I wonder ?

 

[Megafuss]

I'd imagine Invershin and Culrain should have zero tickets. Both request stops either side of the Kyle of Sutherland bridge (with amazing views upstream I may add) 1 minute apart and only up to 4 trains a day.

Although I can imagine an extreme enthusiast buying one for the novelty!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd imagine Invershin and Culrain should have zero tickets. Both request stops either side of the Kyle of Sutherland bridge (with amazing views upstream I may add) 1 minute apart and only up to 4 trains a day.

Although I can imagine an extreme enthusiast buying one for the novelty!

I think enthusiasts will buy the obscure ones like that (or say Reddish South to Denton) because they can, with no intention of travelling. For zero sales we need to look at obscure, uninteresting stuff.

 

[Ianno87]

University to Selly Oak?

I was going to say "I reckon there will be loads of those", but while many will certainly make that journey (from the uni itself to the main student housing area of Brum) I imagine equally many don't bother paying!

There are quite a few that do that journey, and there are barriers at University, so they would pay.

Free parking at Selly Oak versus paying to park at the Hospital probably makes a few people do this journey.

I can't imagine many people do the full length Liverpool to Norwich (or more local stations towards each end, such as Widnes to Attleborough)?

Liverpool yes but maybe something such as Thetford to Widnes isn't very popular?

Some of the off-pattern stops must be contenders: Harling Road to Stockport or Ely to Irlam, anybody?

 

[matt_world2004]

Canary wharf to heron quays. They are practically in the same building

 

[Horizon22]

There are probably loads of these. I'm thinking of all the obscure stations in the South East that already have sparse passenger numbers by themselves, so the chances of them two having any passenger increases a lot. Somewhere with a lot of stops also, such as the Heart of Wales line probably has several 0's.

 

[Ianno87]

Canary wharf to heron quays. They are practically in the same building

It's actually a bit of a walk around the dock that seperates them - I suspect the trip is an easy way of getting into CW shopping centre from Heron Quays so there'll be some "laziness to get my lunch" trips!

 

[yorksrob]

Snaith to Hensall.

 

[Whistler40145]

I'd say Reddish South to Denton would be pretty rare,considering the journey can only be made on a Saturday