Travel between obscure stations

[SparkieLover]

I tried to use a season ticket from a North London Line station to Herne Hill which didn't operate the barriers at another North London Line station. The station staff didn't know where Herne Hill is and has to ask (it is in South London).

I'm not surprised. You'd be amazed how many people from north of river never heard of places which are south of it, and vice versa.

 

[_toommm_]

Golf Street to Barry Links can't have had many tickets bought, until scotrail had a promotion a few years ago where any season ticket between two Scottish stations could be used on any Scotrail service. I bought a first-class weekly ticket just before the first class fare was withdrawn, as Scotrail caught on (possibly from here) that people were using it as the cheapest first-class ticket in the promotion to travel anywhere.

 

[crucible72]

I actually looked up Lake to The Lakes when it was mentioned, purely out of interest, and got 3 journeys taking just under 7 hours, eg:

Lake - Ryde Esplanade - (walk) - Ryde Hoverport - (Hovertravel) - Southsea Hoverport - (bus) - Portsmouth & Southsea - London Waterloo - (tube) - London Euston - Birmingham New Street - (walk) - Birmingham Moor Street - The Lakes

Sounds like fun!

Did it give you a fare for the journey? The National Rail site says "no fares available for this journey" and I haven't had any better success with other sites unless I split the tickets.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

Did it give you a fare for the journey? The National Rail site says "no fares available for this journey" and I haven't had any better success with other sites unless I split the tickets.

Yep! But only on some days, it seems. On Friday departing at 11.17, for example, I can get a fare for £97.90 for this route out of the WMR website.

 

[boiledbeans2]

Yes, this is something I do when I make convoluted journeys, especially if I try to break the journey at an intermediate station on a non-obvious route. I show the ticket with unheard of origin and destination, and the barrier staff just wave me in.

 

[SickyNicky]

I remember being on a Danzey to Rhymney ticket back when the 37's were on the Rhymney line. The guard from Brum to Bristol Parkway simply said "I've never heard of either of those", passed the ticket and moved on.

 

[sprunt]

No. If there isn't a fare, there isn't a fare.

So what would happen if - assuming there were a staffed ticket office - someone turned up at one end of such a journey and requested a ticket to the other end? Presumably they wouldn't be turned away?

 

[Gaelan]

So what would happen if - assuming there were a staffed ticket office - someone turned up at one end of such a journey and requested a ticket to the other end? Presumably they wouldn't be turned away?

The vast majority of journeys where this is the case are between station that are very close, so there's no sensible rail route; the answer would be "just walk", "just catch the bus", or "just get the tube" as appropriate!

If there are longer-distance journeys where there aren't fares set (excepting through ticketing onto non-rail services, which are in my experience notoriously spotty), I'd love to hear about them!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Not something like Penzance to Wick?

I tried looking that up, and it isn't possible to do in a single day.

Remarkable when you can possibly get as far as Vienna (again haven't checked) from London in a single day.

I've managed to do Prague hl.n to Leeds in under 24hrs previously, but it was only possible with the time difference between GB and the continent.

Back on topic, I once had a guard on Wessex Trains (as was) who didn't know where the mysterious origin station on my ticket (Denby Dale) was.

 

[etr221]

Not something like Penzance to Wick?

I tried looking that up, and it isn't possible to do in a single day.

Remarkable when you can possibly get as far as Vienna (again haven't checked) from London in a single day.

I've managed to do Prague hl.n to Leeds in under 24hrs previously, but it was only possible with the time difference between GB and the continent.

I was surprised to find that St Pancras to Trieste in a day (dep c0600, arr c2400) was possible.

And Travelling Turtle (see on You Tube) got from St Pancras to Bova Marina (in Calabria, at the toe of Italy) in 24 hours (elapsed)...

 

[Alex365Dash]

Lake - Ryde Pier Head - (ferry) - Portsmouth Harbour - London Waterloo - (tube) - London Euston - Birmingham New Street - (walk) - Birmingham Moor Street - The Lakes is less faf and probably a bit cheaper than using the hovercraft.

Where there is a price differential, the hovercraft is generally cheaper than the ferry.

In this case, there isn’t one anyway. Interestingly though, the fares force you via London, so Lake - Ryde - Portsmouth - Southampton Central - Birmingham New St - Birmingham Moor Street - The Lakes isn’t Permitted. (I think?)

 

[crucible72]

The vast majority of journeys where this is the case are between station that are very close, so there's no sensible rail route; the answer would be "just walk", "just catch the bus", or "just get the tube" as appropriate!

If there are longer-distance journeys where there aren't fares set (excepting through ticketing onto non-rail services, which are in my experience notoriously spotty), I'd love to hear about them!

It's hard to see how something like Pilning to Finstock could be done. Trains from Pilning only run on Saturdays and there are no trains at Finstock at weekends! On the current timetable that is, I don't know about longer-term. Brfares does list fares for the journey though, so maybe it's possible somehow.

 

[NorthOxonian]

It's hard to see how something like Pilning to Finstock could be done. Trains from Pilning only run on Saturdays and there are no trains at Finstock at weekends! On the current timetable that is, I don't know about longer-term. Brfares does list fares for the journey though, so maybe it's possible somehow.

In fairness, the Pilning to Finstock fares are defined between station clusters (as is generally the case for longer journeys between relatively obscure stations). Some of the other flows within these clusters will be quite significant, for instance Bristol Temple Meads to Charlbury, which might constitute a few hundred trips per year.

I would also suspect that both Pilning to Charlbury and Bristol Temple Meads to Finstock are doable (I haven't checked but at least days of the week wouldn't be an issue). If both of these exist, then the way these fare clusters work means that Pilning to Finstock has to exist too.

 

[northwichcat]

Used to routinely buy through tickets to a station on the Manchester Metrolink tram network in the past. Often provoked a "Where's that mate?" query, but the tickets were always then accepted when I explained they were to a destination on the Manchester tram network.

Didn't they used to have Mtlk or similar after the stop name e.g. Sale Mtlk? Surely any properly trained Manchester area guard should have been familiar with them.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Didn't they used to have Mtlk or similar after the stop name e.g. Sale Mtlk? Surely any properly trained Manchester area guard should have been familiar with them.

Yes, they did, but we're talking about ticket inspections at the (in)famous London Euston gateline here!

 

[JBuchananGB]

I nominate Birkdale to Wylde Green. My local station to my sister’s

 

[Mainline421]

I used to get asked where Pokesdown was quite a lot, can't imagine many staff knew tickets like Pokesdown to March, or Pokesdown to Carrick On Shannon. That said I have one generically named station for some creative (but valid) routing that's never been queried thankfully (I imagine it would be if they knew it's location).

No. If there isn't a fare, there isn't a fare.

With very few exceptions there is still a fare, so a TVM or ticket office would be able to sell.

 

[D1537]

Anybody remember the promotion for young person railcards in the 80’s? Any ticket was either 4,8, or £12. I brought a lot of odd return tickets. Sandplace to Ardgay sort of thing. Was like having a cheep all line rover

From that promotion, somewhere I still have a return ticket (from a travel agents on one of those big stock pieces) from Bowling to Bat & Ball. It has a lot of holes in it.

 

[methethpropbut]

Always wondered if it would be a good idea to put the county name or some other "group identifier" to the name of stations on tickets, if only to help guards and other revenue protection. It would then be as simple as say guard on a London - Edinburgh train seeing a ticket from Cambs to Scotland and knowing it is valid, or seeing a ticket from London to Cornwall and knowing it is invalid, rather than having to know or remember where Shippea Hill, Eskbank, or Tulse Hill are

 

[alxndr]

I've never had a guard question a ticket, although I don't know if Halesworth counts as obscure to guards, although it is to most random people outside of Suffolk. I did get a slightly perplexed look from the ticket office at Bristol Parkway though when asking to buy a Motherwell to Cumbernauld (pronounced with an audible question mark if uncertainty) ticket for later that day, and was asked if the fare seemed about right to me as he had no idea.

 

[trebor79]

I've never had a guard question a ticket, although I don't know if Halesworth counts as obscure to guards, although it is to most random people outside of Suffolk. I did get a slightly perplexed look from the ticket office at Bristol Parkway though when asking to buy a Motherwell to Cumbernauld (pronounced with an audible question mark if uncertainty) ticket for later that day, and was asked if the fare seemed about right to me as he had no idea.

Reminds me of the time I attempted to buy a ticket at Birmingham International for Attleborough to Sleaford. The price the clerk quoted was not what I expected, I queried it and he said "well, that's the fare that's come up". I left it and decided to buy elsewhere. I realised afterwards he must have selected Attenborough to Sleaford!

 

[Gathursty]

My experience of staff is they are quite good at knowing some of the wierd stations. I'd have to go a long way back when I had more free time but remember staff at Bolton thinking I wanted to travel to Middlebrook Retail Park and not the delightful halt on the Buxton line, Middlewood.

Must make time next year to potter about somewhere unusual (for me) in the UK.

 

[Wallsendmag]

When staff had to nominate a journey for free passes Chathill to Widdrington was popular

 

[rishtonlad]

I few years back got the train from Rishton to Prittlewell for the football and the guard passed the ticket with a puzzled luck. Later he came back to say he had to put it in as a journey to satisfy himself as to were it was.

 

[Killingworth]

When staff had to nominate a journey for free passes Chathill to Widdrington was popular

Two stations I've visited but never used. I very much doubt anyone has bought a ticket between them, unless a station hopping enthusiast has paid to add the journey to their collection.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Always wondered if it would be a good idea to put the county name or some other "group identifier" to the name of stations on tickets, if only to help guards and other revenue protection. It would then be as simple as say guard on a London - Edinburgh train seeing a ticket from Cambs to Scotland and knowing it is valid, or seeing a ticket from London to Cornwall and knowing it is invalid, rather than having to know or remember where Shippea Hill, Eskbank, or Tulse Hill are

Absolutely, I've often thought this would be a good idea. I'm guessing the current arrangement is a legacy of APTIS (or a similar system) where the character field for stations names was limited, but I'd think this should be part of the spec for an updated ticketing system as and when (eventually) something like GBR comes along - though it's not going to be a priority!

Of course other factor to consider is how worked up some people would likely get about any county names used... so whatever system chosen would ideally cater for those 'disputed' locales (within reason!).

 

[Gaelan]

I very much doubt anyone has bought a ticket between them, unless a station hopping enthusiast has paid to add the journey to their collection.

The 2021-2022 Origin-Destination Matrix shows two journeys each way between Widdrington and Chathill!

 

[Haywain]

The 2021-2022 Origin-Destination Matrix

Where on earth do you get to see such a document?

 

[Killingworth]

Where on earth do you get to see such a document?

And to get to the data in half an hour from my posting!

 

[hexagon789]

Where on earth do you get to see such a document?

And to get to the data in half an hour from my posting!

On the ORR website, a quick Google will find it readily.