Was researching the cost of getting my partner from Reading to
Macclesfield - 18.50 was the cheapest ticket..and then happened to
check what it was from further afield from where she actually lives-
Aldershot. It was the same price- how can that be? The extra
distance-via North Camp - ended up with the same train for the main
length from Reading to macclesfield
Cheers Robin

In article ,
Robin Nicholson   wrote:

>Was researching the cost of getting my partner from Reading to
>Macclesfield - 18.50 was the cheapest ticket..and then happened to
>check what it was from further afield from where she actually lives-
>Aldershot. It was the same price- how can that be? The extra
>distance-via North Camp - ended up with the same train for the main
>length from Reading to macclesfield


Advance purchase tickets are priced more on demand than anything else.
The limiting factor is probably the Virgin Cross Country leg of the trip.
Also it's not unknown for tickets to be actually cheaper from further
away, which is caused by different companies setting the fares.

Nick
-- 
http://www.leverton.org/                      ... So express yourself

In article <dcbm5i$vom$1@hub.home>, Nick Leverton 
writes

>In article ,
>Robin Nicholson   wrote:
>>Was researching the cost of getting my partner from Reading to
>>Macclesfield - 18.50 was the cheapest ticket..and then happened to
>>check what it was from further afield from where she actually lives-
>>Aldershot. It was the same price- how can that be? The extra
>>distance-via North Camp - ended up with the same train for the main
>>length from Reading to macclesfield
>
>Advance purchase tickets are priced more on demand than anything else.
>The limiting factor is probably the Virgin Cross Country leg of the trip.
>Also it's not unknown for tickets to be actually cheaper from further
>away, which is caused by different companies setting the fares.
>
>Nick


It used to be so assume it still is Oxford to London and Didcot to
London are the same fare.
My nearest main-line station is Oxford, but it is easier to drive to
Didcot, OK A bus into Oxford or a drive to Didcot are similar cost wise,
but with my car I have to pay car-parking.
So a shorter train journey and a higher cost !

-- 
Alan

Alan Osborn  wrote:


>In article <dcbm5i$vom$1@hub.home>, Nick Leverton 
>writes
>>In article ,
>>Robin Nicholson   wrote:
>>>Was researching the cost of getting my partner from Reading to
>>>Macclesfield - 18.50 was the cheapest ticket..and then happened to
>>>check what it was from further afield from where she actually lives-
>>>Aldershot. It was the same price- how can that be? The extra
>>>distance-via North Camp - ended up with the same train for the main
>>>length from Reading to macclesfield
>>
>>Advance purchase tickets are priced more on demand than anything else.
>>The limiting factor is probably the Virgin Cross Country leg of the trip.
>>Also it's not unknown for tickets to be actually cheaper from further
>>away, which is caused by different companies setting the fares.
>>
>>Nick
>
>It used to be so assume it still is Oxford to London and Didcot to
>London are the same fare.
>My nearest main-line station is Oxford, but it is easier to drive to
>Didcot, OK A bus into Oxford or a drive to Didcot are similar cost wise,
>but with my car I have to pay car-parking.
>So a shorter train journey and a higher cost !



I used to travel regularly from Haywards Heath (Sussex) to Hexham
(Northumberland).  I usually got a lift from Newcastle to Hexham, so I
bought tickets to Newcastle.

On one occasion I could not get a lift, so booked through to Hexham,
changing at Newcastle.  To my surprise I was rewarded with a
**reduction** in the fare of over 15%.    

Naturally I always booked to Hexham after that!

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 21:07:25 +0100, Tony Polson  wrote:


>On one occasion I could not get a lift, so booked through to Hexham,
>changing at Newcastle.  To my surprise I was rewarded with a
>**reduction** in the fare of over 15%.    


I'm guessing that the fare for Hexham was based on that to Carlisle,
or similar?

I encountered something similar recently - the only route Trainline
will seem to give for MK Central to Dent (S&C) is via Carlisle or via
the Lancashire DalesRail services on Sundays. 

The fare from MKC to Carlisle is a few quid greater than that to Dent.
However, because one ticket is routed and the other one isn't (can't
remember which way round it is now), it still seems to scrape through
the fares rule.

Trainline won't give fares via Manchester or Birmingham and Leeds, nor
(probably due to the infrequent service that no doubt doesn't connect
properly) via Lancaster and Hellifield.

Neil

-- 
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
When replying please use neil at the above domain
'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read.

wensleydale@pacersplace.org.uk (Neil Williams) wrote:


>On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 21:07:25 +0100, Tony Polson  wrote:
>
>>On one occasion I could not get a lift, so booked through to Hexham,
>>changing at Newcastle.  To my surprise I was rewarded with a
>>**reduction** in the fare of over 15%.    
>
>I'm guessing that the fare for Hexham was based on that to Carlisle,
>or similar?



No idea.  I unquestioningly accepted the bargain offered!

Tony Polson  wrote:

> On one occasion I could not get a lift, so booked through to Hexham,
> changing at Newcastle.  To my surprise I was rewarded with a
> **reduction** in the fare of over 15%.    


When I used to commute to school at Guildford in the early 1990s there
seemed to be a rule that 'major stations' were charged a premium.  So it was
cheaper to buy a ticket to one station beyond (Liphook to Wanborough, Woking
to Farncombe) than to Guildford itself.  It was also cheaper to buy child
day returns than seasons.  I think this loophole has been closed now, but
vestiges of it might remain in some places.

Theo

Robin Nicholson wrote:


> Was researching the cost of getting my partner from Reading to
> Macclesfield - 18.50 was the cheapest ticket..and then happened to
> check what it was from further afield from where she actually lives-
> Aldershot. It was the same price- how can that be? The extra
> distance-via North Camp - ended up with the same train for the main
> length from Reading to macclesfield


It's quite common for a short local leg to be added on for free onto a
long intercity journey. F'rexample,

York to Bristol - Saver Return 110.00
York to Nailsea - Saver Return 110.00

London to Liverpool - Standard Open Return 175.00
London to Aintree - Standard Open Return 175.00

I suspect this is largely for simplicity and economy. If the fares
between every pair of stations were set individually, just think how
big the Fares Manuals would be - even with them broken down into
regions. As it is, the FM might say, f'rexample, under Nailsea, "For
all destinations not listed, use fares from Bristol", and then just
list maybe 40 or 50 stations local to Nailsea that would have separate
fares.

-- 
                          Stevie D
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