Most pointless journey for which a fare is available

[HSTEd]

I remember back when I had a PRIV I tried to buy a ticket from Mauldeth Road to Picadilly from the Guard.

He just said "Don't worry about it mate" and carried on down the train.

 

[njamescouk]

You will need a ticket to get onto the platforms at St Davids to head to St Thomas

how time flies - it was about 20 years ago when I did that journey. thanks for the update!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Exeter st David's to st Thomas likewise.

Are you saying that it's pointless there being any fares set for this short hop (simply because no one would bother buying a ticket unless they needed to use it to get through the barriers at St. David's)?

 

[njamescouk]

Are you saying that it's pointless there being any fares set for this short hop (simply because no one would bother buying a ticket unless they needed to use it to get through the barriers at St. David's)?

i wasn't actually saying it was pointless merely saying (as it happens, 20 years ago) that the trip was over before the guard could collect the fare.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Kingston was the first stop out of London - and the first Thames crossing after London Bridge.

Only until 1729, when Putney Bridge was built. By 1838 there were ten more bridges between London and Kingston.

 

[Deafdoggie]

I used to frequently cycle down the hill from the Uni, board a train to Central then use the ramp at the far end of the platform to cycle back up Pennsylvania Road to the Uni. This was in 2003 when there were no barriers. I think barriers must be fairly recent at Exeter.

Depends how you define recent. They’ve been there at least ten years that I know of.

 

[adrock1976]

Unsure if it has been mentioned upthread, I would also suggest New Lane and Bescar Lane.

Both stations are a fair hike down country lanes from the exact same main road.

 

[Kingston Dan]

Only until 1729, when Putney Bridge was built. By 1838 there were ten more bridges between London and Kingston.

Indeed didn't mean to imply by the time the railways arrived that was the case - just more to try and expain some context to their fateful decision.

 

[riceuten]

Well, walking from Oxford road to Picc is not as easy as it looks.
I’ve done once, must have took 15 mins.

I grew up in Manchester, and it would be a brisk 15 minute walk. It would certainly cost more than £2.40 in a taxi. Most fares from outside the centre are valid to Manchester Stations, so if Piccadilly or Oxford Road is where you want to go, you can change trains.

 

[Chris217]

A single from Maidstone East to Maidstone West is £2.10.
Although you won't get a train from East as you have to walk to Maidstone Barracks which takes around 10 minutes.
Or if you walk all the way from East to West via the town centre it takes around 15 minutes.

Another one could be Penarth to Dingle Road. 10min walk down hill for most of it. £2.90 by train or free if you are in the front coach of a 4 car train lol as the journey takes about a minute.
Not that I ever do that of course.

 

[markem41]

Whilst that's a steep fare for a distance walkable in 10 minutes (if you know where you're going), it would not be true to say it's totally pointless. There are even circumstances in which Oxford Road to Deansgate would not be a pointless journey (though I admit it would make little sense to pay for it specifically).

Deansgate to Oxford Road is handy in peak time to get a seat on the stopping service going back out again.

 

[riceuten]

Deansgate to Oxford Road is handy in peak time to get a seat on the stopping service going back out again.

That is DEFINITELY true, particularly on the train to Urmston !

 

[BurtonM]

Before the Ordsall Chord opened you could legitimately overtravel to Salford Crescent on a Stalybridge-Manchester Ctlz ticket as the mileage Stalybridge - Salford Crescent and doubling back to Piccadilly was fractionally shorter than Stalybridge-Manchester Piccadilly direct. Break of Journey was permitted on the outbound. The staff at Crescent really didn't like it though.
The price of a Stalybridge - Manchester Ctlz return was the same price as a return to the Crescent!


Stalybridge-Glossop is a bit of a pointless fare, at £6.50 return, it takes an hour and a half and you have to travel via Manchester Piccadilly because TPE don't serve Guide Bridge.
The 237 bus is half an hour faster and £1.50 cheaper with a Stagecoach Dayrider.

 

[plugwash]

NRE still thinks stalybridge to Picadilly is valid via victoria and salford crescent.

 

[Watershed]

Before the Ordsall Chord opened you could legitimately overtravel to Salford Crescent on a Stalybridge-Manchester Ctlz ticket as the mileage Stalybridge - Salford Crescent and doubling back to Piccadilly was fractionally shorter than Stalybridge-Manchester Piccadilly direct. Break of Journey was permitted on the outbound. The staff at Crescent really didn't like it though.
The price of a Stalybridge - Manchester Ctlz return was the same price as a return to the Crescent!


Stalybridge-Glossop is a bit of a pointless fare, at £6.50 return, it takes an hour and a half and you have to travel via Manchester Piccadilly because TPE don't serve Guide Bridge.
The 237 bus is half an hour faster and £1.50 cheaper with a Stagecoach Dayrider.

It's still permitted - both Salford stations are within the Manchester Stations group.

 

[Bletchleyite]

NRE still thinks stalybridge to Picadilly is valid via victoria and salford crescent.

Give it a day or three and it may well not be, people do read here and close loopholes that are pointed out!

Deansgate to Oxford Road is handy in peak time to get a seat on the stopping service going back out again.

It is, or Oxford Road to Picc, though I very much doubt anyone would actually pay for it as with a Manchester Stns/Ctlz ticket it's near-undetectable and rather de-minimis.

When the Southern service from MK to Croydon used to go to South Croydon and was 4-car so left East Croydon full and standing, sneaking to South Croydon and back was similarly useful.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

It's still permitted - both Salford stations are within the Manchester Stations group.

According to National Rail Enquiries peak fare from e.g. Hazel Grove to Salford Crescent is higher than the fare to Piccadilly!

 

[simon7929]

Whitby to Scarborough £61.00 and takes just under 4 hours.

Bus takes 1 hr and costs around £8.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Whitby to Scarborough £61.00 and takes just under 4 hours.

Bus takes 1 hr and costs around £8.

Good shout but already mentioned upthread at post #69.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Whitby to Scarborough £61.00 and takes just under 4 hours.

Bus takes 1 hr and costs around £8.

So the journey may be pointless - but is there a point to the fare? Specifically, is it pitched to deter people from buying that train ticket and then being disappointed by the journey time?

 

[Watershed]

So the journey may be pointless - but is there a point to the fare? Specifically, is it pitched to deter people from buying that train ticket and then being disappointed by the journey time?

Yes, a fare exists in case anyone wants to travel between those two stations by train. Consider the possibility that you might not want to do it all in one go, and the ability to do break of journey (particularly on the return portion) could be useful.

I don't think it is deliberately intended to put people off taking the train, but simply priced that way because it can't undercut intermediate fares along the route you go by train. The fare is only slightly more than that from Scarborough to Darlington or Yarm, both of which are journeys which could quite reasonably be done by train.

 

[Uk125]

best of all, as few mentioned. rice lane to walton £25.10 takes 13 mins train journey with 1 change. walk takes 5 mins!

 

[ServerHoster]

best of all, as few mentioned. rice lane to walton £25.10 takes 13 mins train journey with 1 change. walk takes 5 mins!

Are you sure that's not a ranger or rover? I'm sure no-one would pay that much. A Merseyrail day saver costs £4.10

 

[Mcr Warrior]

best of all, as few mentioned. rice lane to walton £25.10 takes 13 mins train journey with 1 change. walk takes 5 mins!

It's actually £25.20 which is the price of a Lancashire Day Ranger.

(BR Fares has no fares available between Rice Lane and Walton (Merseyside).)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Are you sure that's not a ranger or rover? I'm sure no-one would pay that much. A Merseyrail day saver costs £4.10View attachment 88973

It's a Day Ranger, which comes up in this sort of case. The Merseyrail Day Saver is in as an odd faux-point to point ticket so doesn't come up. There isn't an actual point-to-point fare for Walton <-> Rice Lane, so I think we established upthread that it didn't count?

 

[berneyarms]

best of all, as few mentioned. rice lane to walton £25.10 takes 13 mins train journey with 1 change. walk takes 5 mins!

There is no quoted fare for that journey. That’s a rover ticket

https://www.brfares.com/!!fares?orig=RIL&dest=WAO

Again, people should be looking at brfares.com as NRE can be misleading.

 

[Uk125]

Strange, no fare available on br fares site but available for £20 when I added disabled adult card.

It's actually £25.20 which is the price of a Lancashire Day Ranger.

(BR Fares has no fares available between Rice Lane and Walton (Merseyside).)

Sorry Mr Pedantic yes I'm aware it's a day ranger that's why I said it's best of all.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Sorry Mr Pedantic yes I'm aware it's a day ranger that's why I said it's best of all.

Certainly expensive, but the premise of the thread is I believe that it has to be a point-to-point fare, not a Rover that happens to have it in the area.

 

[Metrolink]

I’m not to sure if this has been said but Wigan Wallgate to Wigan North Western is a mere few feet from each other and travelling by train between the two would mean joining on to the Manchester to Liverpool Main line at Newton le Willows, travelling to Oxford Rd or Piccadilly and back on the local lines through Westhoughton and Swinton.

 

[simon7929]

Darlington to Stockton is £4.70
Darlington to Thornaby is £4.90

You need to change at Thornaby for Stockton.