Trivia: Most Expensive Service £/mile anytime return

[davidgh]

I put forward Market Harborough

£118.50 for an anytime return
83 miles by google maps
£1.43 per return mile

Is East Midlands the most expensive rail company?

 

[Howardh]

If you take a journey between very close stations eg Oxford Road/Deansgate which is, what, 1/4 mile (maybe 1/3rd??) a ticket will cost £2.30 ret peak, so that's appx £3.50/mile @ 1/3rd.
Burscough Bridget to Burscough Junction is £15.20 peak single, a walking journey of 2/3rds mile appx - obviously the stations aren't linked so the train journey is the long way round! But it must make it one of the most expensive standard-ticket journeys in the world per mile as the crow flies!!

Adds - just noticed that tomorrow - peak out and return - Manchester - Euston return is a whopping £321. That's not a tryping error. £320-sodding1. Remarkably you can save £4 by going first class.

Completely barmy, and only in Britain I suspect.

Edit's again...two peak singles Man/Euston = £274 total. Two singles cheaper (cheaper...huh) than a day return. As I said...only in...

 

[Lockwood]

Market Harborough to where, sorry?
Fratton to Portsmouth & Southsea, I'm making that 0.83 miles (78.5-77.15km)
£2.50 return. £1.51 per mile each way

 

[cjohnson]

St Margarets - Twickenham - £2.80 anytime single at 0.45 miles = £6.22 a mile.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Surely Heathrow Express must be up there...

 

[Lockwood]

St Margarets - Twickenham - £2.80 anytime single at 0.45 miles = £6.22 a mile.

£5.56/mile when you're on the Anytime Return

 

[AndyNLondon]

Two of my local stations that are particularly close: Bowes Park to Alexandra Palace is £3.90 return, and 0.6 miles as the crow flies, so £6.50/mile (or are we doing round-trip distances, which would be £3.25/mile)

 

[alex17595]

A West India quay to Canary Wharf anytime cash return fare is 9.40 for 398 metres.

 

[Taunton]

On London Underground, Leicester Square to Covent Garden is 0.16 mile, and the zone 1 cash fare is £4.70, a rate of £29.37 per mile.

This is not a completely improbable journey because visitors to London from overseas etc, without Oyster and not knowing the geography, may well make such a trip without realising the impracticality of it.

It is a glaring example of how coarse fare zones can drive away short-distance traffic, which a generation or two ago was a significant part of the load on urban systems. The example above at Canary Wharf is another; although it is such a short distance it is across a bridge, and it's quite a long way round if you have to walk.

 

[Haywain]

Adds - just noticed that tomorrow - peak out and return - Manchester - Euston return is a whopping £321. That's not a tryping error. £320-sodding1. Remarkably you can save £4 by going first class.

Completely barmy, and only in Britain I suspect.

Edit's again...two peak singles Man/Euston = £274 total. Two singles cheaper (cheaper...huh) than a day return. As I said...only in...

If you are going to make comparisons, keep them on the same ticket type! The Anytime single between Manchester and Euston is £160.50, so there is nothing to be saved over the Anytime Return. And the 1st class Anytime Return is £459.00, so that isn't £4 cheaper.

None of that alters the fact that the walk up fares are expensive, but the comparison's are like listening to a Trainline advert!

 

[Bantamzen]

Shipley > Leeds, £88.00 for 12 miles, 10 minutes each way

Normal day return (off peak) is £4.50 & even two singles just £7.00.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Surely Heathrow Express must be up there...

Table 118 of the eNRT gives Paddington - Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 as 14.75 miles. Bought at a Ticket Office/TVM/Online, an Anytime Return (or "Express Saver" as HEx call it) is £34.00, making it a mere £1.15 per mile. Having said that, the Single at £21.00 works out to £1.42 per mile.

A ticket bought on-board incurs a £5 premium, which puts the Single up to £1.76 per mile and Return to £1.32 per mile.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I put forward Market Harborough

£118.50 for an anytime return
83 miles by google maps
£1.43 per return mile

Is East Midlands the most expensive rail company?

I suggest you look at your Maths again... £118.50 / 166 miles is 71.4p per mile...

 

[oversteer]

A West India quay to Canary Wharf anytime cash return fare is 9.40 for 398 metres.

A zone 2 travelcard is only £9
Still, that would be £36/mile..

 

[Deerfold]

Shipley > Leeds, £88.00 for 12 miles, 10 minutes each way

Normal day return (off peak) is £4.50 & even two singles just £7.00.

Not sure what you're saying here. Where does your £88 come from?


We do have this thread every few months, by the way...

 

[hairyhandedfool]

.....Edit's again...two peak singles Man/Euston = £274 total. Two singles cheaper (cheaper...huh) than a day return. As I said...only in...

An 'Any Permitted' Anytime Single (£160.50) plus a 'Via Chesterfield' Off Peak Single (£113.50) is cheaper than an 'Any Permitted' Anytime Return (£321), but it's absolutely no use at all if you are returning on a weekday on the direct 1700 service from Euston, unlike the Anytime Return......:roll:

 

[yorkie]

I put forward Market Harborough

£118.50 for an anytime return
83 miles by google maps
£1.43 per return mile

to where?

Also is there a minimum distance requirement? Are you limiting the results to National Rail services?

Heathrow Express may, or may not, count depending on your definitions.

Virgin Trains has some very expensive Anytime Single/Returns too.

 

[Moonshot]

Its is worth noting in the context of this thread that the average fare paid for any single journey on the UK network is just a shade over £5......

 

[Bantamzen]

Not sure what you're saying here. Where does your £88 come from?

The example I quoted was booking going out today, returning tomorrow. Maybe not strictly an Anytime ticket price, but it does go to show how bonkers our ticketing system really is. I came across once when having booked a Leeds - Warrington I wanted to save a bit of time queing for tickets from Shipley to Leeds.

 

[Crossover]

The example I quoted was booking going out today, returning tomorrow. Maybe not strictly an Anytime ticket price, but it does go to show how bonkers our ticketing system really is. I came across once when having booked a Leeds - Warrington I wanted to save a bit of time queing for tickets from Shipley to Leeds.

That still doesn't explain the £88 price you have come up with!

 

[FQ]

London Paddington-Heathrow Airport.
Also Leamington spa to Banbury is fairly bad.

 

[Bantamzen]

That still doesn't explain the £88 price you have come up with!

I've just put this query through NRE (travel Shipley > Leeds today, return tomorrow), and if offers singles as £7.00 or return as £88.00. Now this is fairly obvious through this site, but through others (such as the one my organisation uses to book travel) it's not as transparent.

 

[davidgh]

My Context is travelling a decent commute to a big city for work. NOT SEASON

So if you want to live say an hour from a city, how much does a peak return cost £/per mile, so you can travel in a few days a week

Yes Heathrow Express and Manchester to London are extreme examples.

Is £1.45 per mile a lot?

I find it difficult to understand the difference between East Midlands prices and East Coast Prices

 

[Deerfold]

I've just put this query through NRE (travel Shipley > Leeds today, return tomorrow), and if offers singles as £7.00 or return as £88.00. Now this is fairly obvious through this site, but through others (such as the one my organisation uses to book travel) it's not as transparent.

Thanks - that's useful.

When you click on it enough times it is revealed to be an Adult - North Country Rover (4 in 8 days) (as opposed to a simple return).

NRE ought to make that clearer a little earlier I think.

 

[Crossover]

Ah, the curse of NRES strikes once again

Thanks for the clarification

 

[Darandio]

My Context is travelling a decent commute to a big city for work. NOT SEASON

So if you want to live say an hour from a city, how much does a peak return cost £/per mile, so you can travel in a few days a week

Yes Heathrow Express and Manchester to London are extreme examples.

Is £1.45 per mile a lot?

I find it difficult to understand the difference between East Midlands prices and East Coast Prices

But we still don't know where your original service was going? Market Harborough to where?

 

[Bantamzen]

Thanks - that's useful.

When you click on it enough times it is revealed to be an Adult - North Country Rover (4 in 8 days) (as opposed to a simple return).

NRE ought to make that clearer a little earlier I think.

Indeed, or perhaps if there are no returns available as in this case simply offer up the singles option only. Or maybe even offer an open return for these shorter journeys, at say a slightly higher price than a day return but still cheaper than two singles.

Whilst most folk on here would see something like that & make the correct choices, other less savvy would-be pasengers might see something like & think that everything they've heard & read about rail travel is true & give it a miss. I wonder if people have actually been put off from travelling by train because of oddities like this?

 

[Sheepy1209]

My Context is travelling a decent commute to a big city for work. NOT SEASON

So if you want to live say an hour from a city, how much does a peak return cost £/per mile, so you can travel in a few days a week

Yes Heathrow Express and Manchester to London are extreme examples.

Is £1.45 per mile a lot?

I find it difficult to understand the difference between East Midlands prices and East Coast Prices

So Manchester to London is an extreme example?
Says it all really! It's extremely expensive, and given the restrictions Virgin place on their weekday fares it's the price many people have to pay, but this is one of the country's main routes we're talking about here, not a premium airport link!

 

[bb21]

Market Harborough to St Pancake I suspect, at 83 miles, is what the OP meant.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Market Harborough to St Pancake I suspect, at 83 miles, is what the OP meant.

An SOR (Anytime Return) from Market Harborough to London Terminals is indeed £118.50. Fare setter is East Midlands Trains.

 

[davidgh]

Yes, sorry for my London centricity, Market Harborough to St Pancras

An interesting comparable is Huntingdon to KGX on FCC which is somewhat cheaper!


I hope not too many people have to commute from Manchester to London, if they do, I think we have the world wrong!