Fascinating fare - Llandudno Junction to Chester

[gazthomas]

I was thinking of doing the afternoon class 67 turn from Llandudno Junction to Chester.

Cheapest ticket for this train as a non-railcard holder is £18.90 for an off-peak day return.

However if I was to take a Virgin service rather than ATW the price drops to a much more reasonable £13.80 for an any time day return!

Shame it's Virgin-only. Interestingly I tried stations nearby - Colwyn Bay, Deganwy and even Conwy and the Virgin only fare is only available at Llandudno Junction.

Are there any other examples like this?

 

[Hadders]

There are loads! Take a look at Milton Keynes to London. You have Any Permitted, Virgin Only and London Midland Only. If you go for a one day travelcard there's even a Southern Only version!

 

[IanXC]

My favourite example is Hull to Doncaster, where there are Hull Trains Only tickets... Trouble is many passengers get confused with these. Particularly travelling towards Hull they'll respond to a Guard telling them their ticket isn't valid on Northern, say "But this is the Hull train".

 

[Mojo]

Am I missing something? What makes this an anomaly?

 

[gazthomas]

That is such a difference. I love it as evidence of competition, but it's pretty limited in my view.

 

[Tracky]

I was thinking of doing the afternoon class 67 turn from Llandudno Junction to Chester.

Cheapest ticket for this train as a non-railcard holder is £18.90 for an off-peak day return.

However if I was to take a Virgin service rather than ATW the price drops to a much more reasonable £13.80 for an any time day return!

Shame it's Virgin-only. Interestingly I tried stations nearby - Colwyn Bay, Deganwy and even Conwy and the Virgin only fare is only available at Llandudno Junction.

Are there any other examples like this?

Don't start me on Virgin only tickets.

No really, don't...

They are fine if you are happy to abide by the restrictions. The Virgin service on the coast is poor. The Virgin service betweem Chester and Manchester on a Sunday is in my view so limited, Virgin only tickets should not be available.

On a side note -

Arriva set the fares but the 'Any Permitted' fares but they are not 'Arrivas' - the revenue from them is divided between all applicable operators.......

 

[thebigcheese]

Am I missing something? What makes this an anomaly?

It's click bait

 

[RJ]

It's click bait

Reading the first sentence, I thought my latest squeeze was going to be revealed - but a £5 saving along the North Wales Coast is way off

 

[krus_aragon]

Reading the first sentence, I thought my latest squeeze was going to be revealed - but a £5 saving along the North Wales Coast is way off

Do you mean to suggest that your latest squeeze saves more than £5 when travelling along the NW coast, or that you've got a greater saving elsewhere?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Am I missing something? What makes this an anomaly?

ATW's Standard Day Return (SDR) for Chester-Shrewsbury (42 miles, or 52 via Crewe) is £12.80 (CDR also available at £10.80).
Against that, the £21.10 SVR for Chester-Llandudno Jn (44 miles) is indeed an anomaly (CDR £19.40).
Same TOC, on journeys often made on the same train.
Local fares on the North Wales coast line are significantly higher than on adjacent lines.
This goes back before ATW, probably to BR days.