Oddity surrounding fares to Runcorn East

[317 forever]

I have been looking up fares to Liverpool, Runcorn and Runcorn East ready for a Liverpool & Runcorn bus trip for September.

Anyway, using Runcorn itself looks set to be the most expensive option. I may manage the cheapest option by splitting my ticket at Manchester and purchasing Advance tickets to/from Liverpool Lime Street, although any saving looks minimal.

I then looked up fares to Runcorn East. Looking at Day Returns, what is odd is that the fare from Manchester is £13.50 and from East Didsbury £15.80. Admittedly these are Anytime Day Returns, and the journeys can of course be done on direct Transport for Wales trains.

However, from my nearest station - Heaton Chapel - there is an Off-peak Day Return to Runcorn East for £11.00. While this is looking the most convenient and cost-effective option, the lack of advertised Off-peak Day Returns from either Manchester Piccadilly or East Didsbury is odd.

 

[Watershed]

I have been looking up fares to Liverpool, Runcorn and Runcorn East ready for a Liverpool & Runcorn bus trip for September.

Anyway, using Runcorn itself looks set to be the most expensive option. I may manage the cheapest option by splitting my ticket at Manchester and purchasing Advance tickets to/from Liverpool Lime Street, although any saving looks minimal.

I then looked up fares to Runcorn East. Looking at Day Returns, what is odd is that the fare from Manchester is £13.50 and from East Didsbury £15.80. Admittedly these are Anytime Day Returns, and the journeys can of course be done on direct Transport for Wales trains.

However, from my nearest station - Heaton Chapel - there is an Off-peak Day Return to Runcorn East for £11.00. While this is looking the most convenient and cost-effective option, the lack of advertised Off-peak Day Returns from either Manchester Piccadilly or East Didsbury is odd.

It makes more sense when you see the background to the situation.

The fare from Heaton Chapel is part of a wider flow is priced by Northern, effectively being a variant of Stockport to Warrington Stations.

Whereas Runcorn East to Manchester Stations fares are priced by TfW on a point-to-point basis.

TfW's predecessor, ATW, raised fares by as much as they were allowed to do, and abolished most of their Off-Peak Day Returns.

By contrast Northern (both in its current form as well as its predecessors) did not raise fares as much, and to the contrary introduced Off-Peak Day Returns on almost all of their flows (where they did not already exist).

Accordingly it can now often be cheaper to buy a ticket for a longer flow, as in this case, than for your actual journey. This is far from a unique phenomenon across the network.

 

[317 forever]

It makes more sense when you see the background to the situation.

The fare from Heaton Chapel is part of a wider flow is priced by Northern, effectively being a variant of Stockport to Warrington Stations.

Whereas Runcorn East to Manchester Stations fares are priced by TfW on a point-to-point basis.

TfW's predecessor, ATW, raised fares by as much as they were allowed to do, and abolished most of their Off-Peak Day Returns.

By contrast Northern (both in its current form as well as its predecessors) did not raise fares as much, and to the contrary introduced Off-Peak Day Returns on almost all of their flows (where they did not already exist).

Accordingly it can now often be cheaper to buy a ticket for a longer flow, as in this case, than for your actual journey. This is far from a unique phenomenon across the network.

Thank you for this insight. I did spot the absence of Off-Peak Day Returns on the TfW direct journeys. I have heard of anomalies where different companies set the fare. I just commiserate residents of Murdishaw near Runcorn East for example having a Saturday out in Manchester and not realising it would be cheaper to buy a ticket to Heaton Chapel instead - assuming of course that a break of journey at Manchester is permitted.

 

[Watershed]

Thank you for this insight. I did spot the absence of Off-Peak Day Returns on the TfW direct journeys. I have heard of anomalies where different companies set the fare. I just commiserate residents of Murdishaw near Runcorn East for example having a Saturday out in Manchester and not realising it would be cheaper to buy a ticket to Heaton Chapel instead - assuming of course that a break of journey at Manchester is permitted.

Yes, break of journey is permitted. There are loads of anomalies in this area, although on occasion it can actually be cheaper to use a TfW priced fare.

 

[317 forever]

Yes, break of journey is permitted. There are loads of anomalies in this area, although on occasion it can actually be cheaper to use a TfW priced fare.

Indeed I did benefit from 1 such example from 2018. I was travelling home to Heaton Chapel from Exeter St Davids, and there was a flexible single for £65 via GWR & TfW - officially via Hereford by changing at Newport. The equivalent fare is now £71.60, and is cheaper than using Cross Country via Birmingham.