Most expensive journey per mileage

[pemma]

I've found Deansgate to Manchester Oxford Road is £3.84 per mile in the peak and £3.52 per mile in the off-peak and was wondering how many exceed that. I know Heathrow Express is exceeds that, but how many other franchise fares exceed that?

 

[tony_mac]

I think there was a discussion about this within the last year or so. I think it pretty much comes down to the shortest distance between stations.

 

[jopsuk]

not national rail, but the highest is the cash single (not Oyster) between Covent Garden and Leicester Square on the Underground. Think it works out at about £12/mile.

 

[Ivo]

not national rail, but the highest is the cash single (not Oyster) between Covent Garden and Leicester Square on the Underground. Think it works out at about £12/mile.

All LUL cash fares are £4 (I think). For a 271m journey it works out at approximately £23.75! It is said to be the world's most expensive train fare (at least, it is according to an article in The Sun several years ago).

 

[Mojo]

Except the fare is only £4 if you are stupid. For normal people it is free as they would walk, or if you are lazy it's £1.80.

 

[Railjet]

Except the fare is only £4 if you are stupid. For normal people it is free as they would walk, or if you are lazy it's £1.80.

I remember reading somewhere once that it is apparently one of the most popular tickets sold on LUL - mainly to unsuspecting American tourists, probably.

 

[A60K]

I remember reading somewhere once that it is apparently one of the most popular tickets sold on LUL - mainly to unsuspecting American tourists, probably.

Sounds like a bit of made-up American-bashing nonsense to me - tickets are not sold to individual stations on LU, only to Zone 1 and have been for decades.

There would be no way to tell if someone buying a Zone 1 ticket at Leicester Square had used it to Covent Garden or Notting Hill Gate.

 

[Railjet]

Sounds like a bit of made-up American-bashing nonsense to me - tickets are not sold to individual stations on LU, only to Zone 1 and have been for decades.

There would be no way to tell if someone buying a Zone 1 ticket at Leicester Square had used it to Covent Garden or Notting Hill Gate.

You are probably right, it might have been in the Daily Mail or some rag like that.

 

[A60K]

You are probably right, it might have been in the Daily Mail or some rag like that.

Very likely! For an entertaining read about the journalistic standards of Daily Mail/Express/Star (they're all as bad as each other) the Tabloid Watch blog is always good.

I'm wondering if the most expensive ticket per mile on National Rail services might have been Farringdon to Barbican until this time last year - around half a mile for £4 single?

 

[Capybara]

City Thameslink to Blackfriars?

 

[Royston Vasey]

Sounds like a bit of made-up American-bashing nonsense to me - tickets are not sold to individual stations on LU, only to Zone 1 and have been for decades.

There would be no way to tell if someone buying a Zone 1 ticket at Leicester Square had used it to Covent Garden or Notting Hill Gate.

But isn't there a way for the barrier, on swallowing a single ticket at Leicester Square, to record where it was purchased?

 

[cuccir]

Of course one could cheat and go for stations which are geographically close but which require a long rail detour.

It would cost £7.90 to travel between Newark Castle and Newark North Gate and that's just about one mile, though that's not a through fare. Hessle to Barton costs £28.80 and you could do that is 5.1 miles over the Humber Bridge - that's £5.76 a mile. I imagine there'd be some even greater ones around the Severn Estuary.

 

[Failed Unit]

Of course one could cheat and go for stations which are geographically close but which require a long rail detour.

It would cost £7.90 to travel between Newark Castle and Newark North Gate and that's just about one mile, though that's not a through fare. Hessle to Barton costs £28.80 and you could do that is 5.1 miles over the Humber Bridge - that's £5.76 a mile. I imagine there'd be some even greater ones around the Severn Estuary.

How much is North Gate - Castle on a direct train? It can still be done but the journey planner I used couldn't find a fare for it. How have you costed this double back to Collingham?

Along the Forth you have Dunbar - Kirkcaldy, where for the most direct route you need a boat.

Many places with 2 stations have long ways around, Canterbury East - West would take you a very scenic route around the Kent Coast!

 

[gordonthemoron]

since both North Gate & Castle are in the Newark Group, wouldn't it be free?

 

[John @ home]

It would cost £7.90 to travel between Newark Castle and Newark North Gate and that's just about one mile

Why £7.90?

Origin: NEWARK CASTLE
Destination: NEWARK N GATE
Route: ANY PERMITTED
SDR £2.40 EMT
SDS £1.90 EMT

 

[Failed Unit]

Any Permitted

Newark - Grantham - Nottingham - Newark
Newark - Retford - Worksop - Nottingham - Newark

I know, there is only one before I need to get the suit out.

 

[cuccir]

Why £7.90?

I did say 'is quoted as'! Nat Rail Enquiries will only sell the journey as two separate tickets, so the cost actually varies depending on the time you travel and the ticket combination used

How much is North Gate - Castle on a direct train? It can still be done but the journey planner I used couldn't find a fare for it.

Ah, I didn't realise there were any! That's only a £1.90, but it seems to just be one very early morning train a day? The only other direct journey coming up in the journey planner is the reccomendation to walk it, for which the TOCs have yet to come up with a way to charge

 

[tony_mac]

Greenbank to Hartford is an obvious one, £11 single and 2 hours by rail, they are about 1 mile apart by road.

Some of the equally crazy routes don't have a fare - such as Blackpool North to Blackpool South.

 

[A60K]

But isn't there a way for the barrier, on swallowing a single ticket at Leicester Square, to record where it was purchased?

No - the UTS spec (set down in 1986) doesn't give the gates any recording capability in this way. All they basically do is check ticket validity.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Greenbank to Hartford is an obvious one, £11 single and 2 hours by rail, they are about 1 mile apart by road.

Similarly Burscough Bridge to Burscough Junction, cost £8.10 single.

 

[pemma]

Greenbank to Hartford is an obvious one, £11 single and 2 hours by rail, they are about 1 mile apart by road.

If Greenbank to Hartford was something like £1.20 single then a lot of people from Northwich and Knutsford would use spilt ticketing to get cheap Chester or Crewe fares.

The main issue with Greenbank/Hartford is that you should be able to get a Northwich-Liverpool route:Hartford ticket for a cheaper price than a Northwich-Liverpool route:Chester ticket, but you can't get tickets like that.