Ticket Prices Cost Per Mile North vs South

[yorkie]

Just a gentle reminder that if codes are used for ticket types, stations or anything else, these must be the correct codes. We don't allow made-up codes to be posted. Also any such codes should be correctly defined the first time they are used (or a link provided with more information would also be fine)

St Albans to London Thameslink = Depends where you class the destination as - but assume central london, 20 miles = £10.10 SDS, £15.20 SOR, £12.60 OPR, £11.10 SSR

I think you are using the wrong ticket codes.

OPR and SSR are both codes for Super Off Peak Return. I have never seen a flow with both OPR and SSR before, as this would appear as the same name to the customer. Both these ticket types are valid for return travel within a calendar month.

The St Albans to London Thameslink fares do not correspond with what your post says: http://www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=SAC&dest=4452

Anyway fares do vary a lot, sometimes due to historic reasons but often due to market forces and supply vs demand. It's not as simple as a north vs south thing; there are good and bad value fares within the same geographical areas.

 

[Meerkat]

How would this compare to actual paid per mile - ie use TOC total passenger miles divided by revenue?

 

[FenMan]

Anyway fares do vary a lot, sometimes due to historic reasons but often due to market forces and supply vs demand. It's not as simple as a north vs south thing; there are good and bad value fares within the same geographical areas.

Quite. Two examples for journeys heading away from London, both priced by GWR.

Blackwater --> Bedwyn Off Peak Day Return
£9.50 for an 87 mile round trip = £0.11 a mile

Blackwater --> Pewsey Off Peak Day Return
£21.00 for a 105 mile round trip = £0.20 a mile

The marginal cost of the 18 extra miles to/from Pewsey is £11.50, or £0.64 a mile. Of course this is due to Pewsey historically being an Inter City station.

However, both these off peak fares are less expensive per mile when compared with the many similar journeys from Blackwater that are priced by SWR e.g. the Blackwater --> Havant Off Peak Day Return (£21.60) is £0.22 a mile.

 

[tony_mac]

Interesting map, but can you explain why you appear to have included the Ffestiniog Railway between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog, nothing between Aberystwyth and Machynlleth, or Machy east to Shrewsbury, other than 2 strange green spots? There also seem to be some blank areas along the Marches line.

The map doesn't show lines, it shows stations (and a few roads).
Where stations are close enough together, the 'blobs' merge, but they are too far apart between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth (etc.) for this to happen.