Maidenhead - Marlow ridiculous prices

[GodAtum]

A 1st class peak return is £16.40. A taxi is £15. Go figure! :roll:

 

[ushawk]

Dont use First Class then - simple. Dont quite get what your getting at as an Anytime Day Return is £4.50.

 

[Deerfold]

A 1st class peak return is £16.40. A taxi is £15. Go figure! :roll:

Probably priced to avoid people on local journeys filling up first class so it can be enjoyed by those travelling further afield (and paying even more).

 

[Captain Chaos]

A 1st class peak return is £16.40. A taxi is £15. Go figure! :roll:

Is that taxi price a Return? I have a family member who works for U Want Taxis in Maidenhead so I guess I could ask them. I cannot believe that that price is there and back.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I didn't think Taxi's had a first class compartment, I obviously wasn't paying attention last time I use one.

 

[bb21]

I didn't think Taxi's had a first class compartment, I obviously wasn't paying attention last time I use one.

They do. It is called the "boot". You can have all the space to yourself in there.

 

[Be3G]

£16.40 for first compared to £4.50 for standard must be one of the biggest percentage surcharges for first class on our railways, surely? I've seen first being double the price of standard before, but not thrice. :?

 

[Goatboy]

A 1st class peak return is £16.40. A taxi is £15. Go figure! :roll:

So its half the price of a taxi then?

 

[bb21]

I've seen first being double the price of standard before, but not thrice. :?

Quite a few dotted around actually. For example,

Sheffield - York
SDR £19.00
FDR £62.00

Bristol Temple Meads - Bristol Parkway
SDR £4.10
FDR £12.40

Then there are all those flows with Day Returns but not 1st Day Returns.

 

[Eagle]

Journey time Marlow to Maidenhead by road: 15 minutes.
Journey time Marlow to Maidenhead by rail: 23 minutes.

Go figure some more.

(Though it seems to be impossible to get between the two by bus without going to Wycombe and back, taking over an hour.)

 

[Goatboy]

£12.40 for an FDR on a 14 minute journey is good value compared to the SDR of pretty much the same price for the same length of journey between Taunton and Tiverton Parkway!

But anyway - who buys some of the more comedy priced First Class tickets? It's a point I've made in another thread today, as well. There must be a point where some of these tickets are so expensive that nobody who could ever justify buying one would ever be found doing so anyway. Some of them are similar money to simply having ones driver drop you off in the Range Rover

 

[Deerfold]

Journey time Marlow to Maidenhead by road: 15 minutes.
Journey time Marlow to Maidenhead by rail: 23 minutes.

Go figure some more.

(Though it seems to be impossible to get between the two by bus without going to Wycombe and back, taking over an hour.)

You can do it by bus - but not quickly or often -

http://www.transportforbucks.net/Uploads/Files/155.pdf

 

[rdwarr]

Bristol Temple Meads - Bristol Parkway
SDR £4.10
FDR £12.40

That example took me back. I used to live near Bristol Parkway and go to school in central Bristol. My Friday afternoon "treat" was to come home by train rather than on the bus which was free. The fare? 4p.

 

[yorkie]

£16.40 for first compared to £4.50 for standard must be one of the biggest percentage surcharges for first class on our railways, surely? I've seen first being double the price of standard before, but not thrice. :?

It's surprisingly common.

York - London £94.10 SSR, £354 FOR

Manchester - London is even more extreme at £74.20 SVR, £423 FOR (that's more than 5 times the price).

£12.40 for an FDR on a 14 minute journey is good value compared to the SDR of pretty much the same price for the same length of journey between Taunton and Tiverton Parkway!

I don't get this. Journey time doesn't determine price, other than a shorter journey time is more attractive (which seems to be the opposite of what you're suggesting?).

Marlow to Maidenhead is around 5.5 miles. It is of no interest to the customer that the railway takes a deviation but even with that deviation it's around 7.5 miles.

Taunton to Tiverton Parkway is around 17 miles. That's around 3 times as far. So you'd expect a ticket to cost approx 3 times as much. The fact that it's a quick journey time does not in any way mean the fare should reduce, quite the opposite in fact!

A faster journey time adds value to the product, and on some routes this carries a premium.

The only time that I will accept that a longer journey time means an increased fare is justified is when you are talking about the difference (and ONLY the difference) between Std and 1st, because the extra price you pay is for extra comfort during the duration of the journey (but even then it's not that simple because on some routes there is added value of complimentary items and lounges, which will be more applicable to FGW mainline services than branch line services).

 

[Eagle]

Of course if you consider the taxi, a longer journey time increases the cost (provided you're averaging slower than the distance/time changeover speed, which varies but will usually be around 20 mph).

 

[Goatboy]

Taunton to Tiverton Parkway is around 17 miles. That's around 3 times as far. So you'd expect a ticket to cost approx 3 times as much. The fact that it's a quick journey time does not in any way mean the fare should reduce, quite the opposite in fact!

I was referring to the Temple Meads example - and it's about 15 miles from Tiverton Parkway to Taunton. But, point taken I guess

 

[Be3G]

It's surprisingly common.

York - London £94.10 SSR, £354 FOR

Manchester - London is even more extreme at £74.20 SVR, £423 FOR (that's more than 5 times the price).

Oh of course – I meant with comparable ticket types. In other words, I meant where the only thing the large price differential is buying you is first class travel. No reduced restrictions/increased flexibility or anything like that. bb21's are good examples!

 

[GodAtum]

Quite a few dotted around actually. For example,

Sheffield - York
SDR £19.00
FDR £62.00

Bristol Temple Meads - Bristol Parkway
SDR £4.10
FDR £12.40

Then there are all those flows with Day Returns but not 1st Day Returns.

Ouch that would really put people off travelling in 1st! Why is there such a price difference on those routes?

 

[yorkie]

Of course if you consider the taxi, a longer journey time increases the cost (provided you're averaging slower than the distance/time changeover speed, which varies but will usually be around 20 mph).

Yes, it's sort of like an inverse Delay Repay, with the passenger paying the provider for the delays!

 

[Deerfold]

Journey time Marlow to Maidenhead by road: 15 minutes.
Journey time Marlow to Maidenhead by rail: 23 minutes.

Go figure some more.

(Though it seems to be impossible to get between the two by bus without going to Wycombe and back, taking over an hour.)

Found another bus between the two -
http://www.courtneybuses.com/files/M1T.pdf

So long as you're travelling on a Monday or Thursday...

 

[Ivo]

But anyway - who buys some of the more comedy priced First Class tickets?

Ticket collectors

I have one from Lymington somewhere - even though it had been declassified by the time I went there...