Amazing What A Bit of Competition Can Do!

[Envoy]

I have just been checking fares for certain places that are roughly the same distance apart. Some have 2 or even 3 Train Companies whilst others are linked by a sole operator. Guess which came up with the lowest prices for reasonable times?

$ = Buying Today (Sat 31 October, 2015) for Today - usually as Advance Singles.

* = Buying Today (Sat 31 October, 2015) for Tuesday 3 November.

YORK > NEWCASTLE (XC/ Virgin EC/ TPE) $ = 2 Adv Singles at £14.50 = £29 return. * = 2 Adv singles at £9.20 each way = £18.40.

YORK > DERBY (XC the only company) $ = 2 Adv Singles = @ £19.80 = £39.60 return. * = 2 Adv. Singles giving return total of £35.60.

CARDIFF > SHREWSBURY (ATW sole company) $ = £45.20 return (any).
* = price is £44 return for 2 Adv singles for specific trains.

BIRMINGHAM > LONDON (any station at either end). (Virgin/ LM/ Chiltern).
$ = £10 Adv Single out & £6 Adv single back = £16 (London Midland).
* = £28 off peak (all day on Saturdays) return.

SALISBURY > LONDON (Waterloo) (SWT is sole operator).
$ = £38.10 off peak return (all trains on Saturdays).
* = £77.60 Anytime Return (so includes morning weekday peak).
£44.60 off peak return (any).

So clearly, where we have competition between 2 places, we have cheaper fares. Granted that the London Midland trains are slower between Birmingham & London than the Virgin services (who have better quality trains) but the Chiltern prices are also quite reasonable.

 

[najaB]

So clearly, where we have competition between 2 places, we have cheaper fares. Granted that the London Midland trains are slower between Birmingham & London than the Virgin services (who have better quality trains) but the Chiltern prices are also quite reasonable.

There was a VERY long thread about this a while back, in case you missed it you might want to have a read as it contains some detailed analysis as to why these fare differences exist.

 

[Starmill]

Oh no. I don't have to give my Natural Monopolies / Rail Market Structure lecture again do I!?

 

[Cherry_Picker]

A more interesting comparison, and it's probably already been made on this site somewhere, is the Birmingham to London fares compared with other similar routes (ie, intercity trains between London and somewhere 100-120 miles away).

How does Birmingham to London compare with Bristol to London, Leicester or Derby to London or Norwich to London?

 

[najaB]

A more interesting comparison, and it's probably already been made on this site somewhere, is the Birmingham to London fares compared with other similar routes (ie, intercity trains between London and somewhere 100-120 miles away).

How does Birmingham to London compare with Bristol to London, Leicester or Derby to London or Norwich to London?

There was a VERY long thread about this a while back, in case you missed it you might want to have a read as it contains some detailed analysis as to why these fare differences exist.

The Birmingham example was covered in that very thread.