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

[CEN60]

Cant imagine that many tickets between Duncraig to Plockton on the Kyle Line are sold!!!

 

[Waldgrun]

Portchester to Cosham, a 4 or 5 minute trip depending on which T.OC. S.W.R or Southern. A former member of staff there once told me that in over 10 years never issued a ticket for that journey. The only known case of that ticket being issued which he knew about, was by the old "Quickfare" machine, when a criminal gang used fake fivers to obtain the cheapest ticket to give the maximum change, a Child single. How it was known was the crooks dumped these tickets on the platform~!

 

[Sheridan]

Shotton to Hawarden Bridge must be pretty low, although I’m not sure if it’s unusual enough to attract enthusiasts.

 

[Essan]

Can't image many people buy a ticket from Ascott-under-Wychwood to Shipham (or vice versa)? One train in each direction per day and a 3 min journey time. Do either station even have ticket issuing facilities?

 

[Greetlander]

University to Selly Oak?

Admittedly it's 23 years since I left, but I frequently did that trip despite the walk home being shorter.

 

[Nick_C]

Newhaven Harbour - Newhaven Town must be pretty rare (though I believe it used to be common for seasons tickets as one of the cheapest ways to get a gold card).
Sandown - Lake as well - neither have ticket machines, and I doubt the guard issues many tickets in the 2-3 minute journey.

 

[uvarvu]

Waterloo to Waterloo via the various loops!

 

[DeeGee]

I've just been looking at fares from Maidstone Barracks to Maidstone West.

Can't imagine that journey has much uptake, both stations are pretty much the same side of town. Virtually on the same road.

Bizarrely, the 7 day season for that flow is quite a bit cheaper than Hatton to Lapworth, but the Annual season is nearly 3 times the cost.

 

[mmh]

People seem to be concentrating on small rural stations etc. I'd bet there are a fair few combinations of far busier stations and routes in the Oyster card / contactless area that see no ticket sales.

 

[RobertsN]

I'd hazard Dovey Junction to wherever a train reaches. It's in the middle of nowhere, no road access, just a station. Does anyone ever get on or off there?

Like maybe someone on one branch catching a train to the other branch. But changeover is in Macchynleth anyway and you don't really save any time by getting off and waiting for the other train anyway.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Waterloo to Waterloo via the various loops!

Are there fares available for that? I'd assume there aren't without splitting or using a Waterloo to e.g. Kingston return, though the journeys are possible on a Z1-6 Travelcard. Probably a fair few enthusiasts and track or shack bashers who will do it each year.

Fares are available from Earlsfield to Wandsworth Town (£3.40 adult anytime single) and valid without a change via Kingston, but changing at Clapham Junction gives a 17-20min journey as opposed to 54m direct via Kingston. I suppose persons of reduced mobility might go direct to avoid the longish walk along the bridge or subway at CLJ, but in that case the no. 44 bus is probably the better option (though even that is a 20min journey right now according to TfL).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd hazard Dovey Junction to wherever a train reaches. It's in the middle of nowhere, no road access, just a station. Does anyone ever get on or off there?

Would surprise me if some hikers or enthusiasts didn't. It has an Altnabreac-style appeal to those groups.

 

[starlightEXPRESS]

People seem to be concentrating on small rural stations etc. I'd bet there are a fair few combinations of far busier stations and routes in the Oyster card / contactless area that see no ticket sales.

Dorking West to Dorking Deepdene?
57 chains (or 1.1 km) apart and the town centre is midway between the two. They are part of the same Dorking Stations group, but you can buy a ticket to travel between them. (There is a secondary school close-ish to Deepdene, but I think any students from the Dorking West area would simply walk - it's a straight road.)

 

[peteb]

Theres some great opinions here folks. I had assumed that some very short one stop journeys might be made by those holding oyster cards or equivalent area season tickets, so to clarify my query is for tickets actually sold point to point single or return.

 

[mmh]

Some of the small stations will also have ticket sales "because you can," where they're part of a group of stations with the same fare. I've bought many tickets to/from Deganwy and Conwy for journeys where it was unlikely I'd use that station, and didn't.

Hillington West to Dolgarrog is probably most likely to be the rarest ticket I've bought, but I've never used Dolgarrog.

 

[RobertsN]

If we take the most recent NR usage statistics, we find the winners
I'll go for Roche to Luxulyan (on the Newquay "branch") (or viceversa).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've been to Altnabreac, but sadly the ticket involved was a SVR MKC to Wick. Which I doubt is sold often, but also suspect it's nonzero.

It's also not a direct train.

Doubt there are many Dunrobin Castle to Altnabreac, though perhaps some enthusiasts do buy that for its obscurity. Forsinard perhaps rarer, as it's not as interesting to enthusiasts as Altnabreac?

(Amusing that the A897 past Forsinard is a single track lane! )

 

[peteb]

Some of the small stations will also have ticket sales "because you can," where they're part of a group of stations with the same fare. I've bought many tickets to/from Deganwy and Conwy for journeys where it was unlikely I'd use that station, and didn't.

Hillington West to Dolgarrog is probably most likely to be the rarest ticket I've bought, but I've never used Dolgarrog.

Actually group stations are a good point to note. Some will be ideal for splitting tickets at the furthest station in a fare group, eg Hanborough is the same fare from Droitwich Spa as Morton in Marsh even though it's about 20 miles further down the line.

Some of the small stations will also have ticket sales "because you can," where they're part of a group of stations with the same fare. I've bought many tickets to/from Deganwy and Conwy for journeys where it was unlikely I'd use that station, and didn't.

Hillington West to Dolgarrog is probably most likely to be the rarest ticket I've bought, but I've never used Dolgarrog.

But was that on one train?

Actually group stations are a good point to note. Some will be ideal for splitting tickets at the furthest station in a fare group, eg Hanborough is the same fare from Droitwich Spa as Morton in Marsh even though it's about 20 miles further down the line.


But was that on one train?

I wondered if there were some really long one train journeys eg: Aberdeen to Penzance or vice versa that probably sell quite a lot of end to end tickets to train enthusiasts but I wonder about Penzance to Stonehaven (probably less than Aberdeen to St Erth)?

 

[oxfordray1]

Cant imagine that many tickets between Duncraig to Plockton on the Kyle Line are sold!!!

Agreed, although it is a delightful stroll!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Agreed, although it is a delightful stroll!

I'd say any rural location where that is the case is not entirely unlikely to have a bit of "walk out and train back" type traffic.

 

[Huntergreed]

Glasgow Central to Anderston/Argyle Street must be up there, you could walk them as quickly.

 

[mmh]

I'd say any rural location where that is the case is not entirely unlikely to have a bit of "walk out and train back" type traffic.

I'd say the likelihood of someone buying a train ticket for their walk is pretty small.

 

[Esker-pades]

Tickets that I've bought and actually used that may well be up there:

• Broome to Llangynllo (single)
• Balmossie to Golf Street (single)
• Marske to Redcar Brisith Steel (return)
• Craven Arms to Pen-y-bont (return)
• Stomeferry to Lochluichart (single)
• Tal-y-Cafn to North Llanrwst (return)
• Battersby to Danby (return)
• Breich to Lanark (return)
• Spean Bridge to Lochailort (return)
• Coombe Junction to St Budeaux Ferry Road (single)
• Sandplace to St Keyne (single)
• Buckenham to Berney Arms (return)
• Barlaston to Stone Staffs (single)
• Stanlow & Thornton to Penrith (single)

 

[Gathursty]

I'd hazard Dovey Junction to wherever a train reaches. It's in the middle of nowhere, no road access, just a station. Does anyone ever get on or off there?

I have walked from the A Road where the Dovey Junction totem pole is to the station along the footpath. A wonderful but chilly walk at about 2am

 

[6Gman]

Bootle New Strand to Bootle Oriel Road

Quicker to walk between them if it wasn’t for the canal in the way forcing a slight diversion.

Nope, done that one too!

 

[peteb]

I'd say the likelihood of someone buying a train ticket for their walk is pretty small.

I've done this quite a bit taking the train for about 3 minutes then taking about 2 hours to walk back: actually a good one is Colwall to Great Malvern with a 1300 foot peak in between! But did you mean the chances of someone buying a ticket for a mile's travel might tempt them to fare evade? If so never done that!

 

[Dr Hoo]

Newhaven Harbour - Newhaven Town must be pretty rare (though I believe it used to be common for seasons tickets as one of the cheapest ways to get a gold card).
Sandown - Lake as well - neither have ticket machines, and I doubt the guard issues many tickets in the 2-3 minute journey.

A lot of school children at certain times of day. A good guard will try and sell quite a few tickets.

 

[Statto]

Waterloo to Waterloo via the various loops!

Would the ticket just have on it London Terminals, rather than Waterloo or London Waterloo?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've bought Liverpool James St to Liverpool Central with YP in about 1998. Cost £0.15. So even some of those less likely ones may have been bought.

 

[Statto]

I've bought Liverpool James St to Liverpool Central with YP in about 1998. Cost £0.15. So even some of those less likely ones may have been bought.

As i've said James Street to Liverpool Central can be a bit of a hike[about 15 minute walk], but most people would take that journey using pre paid passes, or concessionary passes rather than buy a ticket.