Coombe Junction - passenger numbers and platform facilities - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[Pb_devon]

Cannot decide if you are jesting!
But if you are not, then this is the freight connection to Moorswater which is protected from the passenger section at Coombe by a trap point (as pictured).

[Surrey 455]

Cannot decide if you are jesting!
But if you are not, then this is the freight connection to Moorswater which is protected from the passenger section at Coombe by a trap point (as pictured).

Ah, Ok. I had to look up the meaning of  trap points. I now see that the points in the photo are deliberately set to derail a train and not accidentally as I first assumed.

[bobm]

One more person to add to the stats for Coombe Junction Halt - I was there yesterday.

[LiskeardRich]

But did you get a coombe junction ticket? From talking to staff most users have Rovers using it to cover all stations etc and don't buy a ticket with it as origin or destination, so don't count as a exit/entry.

[bobm]

I did - to boost two station's figures!

[LiskeardRich]

I am on 2 st keyne journeys and 5 coombe junction journeys year to date. I think I'm on 1 Sandplace as well. I go out walking but decide against walking back up the hill afterwards. (I live 2-3 minute walk from liskeard station)

[bobm]

Had lunch in Liskeard yesterday.  Got an £8 Plymouth City bus rover and caught the bus from Looe to Polperro, Polperro to St Keynes - and then walked the 15 minutes down the hill to the railway station.  Then bus from Liskeard to Plymouth (the long way and including the Torpoint ferry) and then Plymouth Gin shop to the railway station.  Good value I reckon.

[LiskeardRich]

I did the pcb long way round on Wednesday. The driver thought I was mad going the 2 hr route rather than the quick way.
And I've just gone 3 better than you, although the opportunity was available for a free ride I bought our tickets when we arrived at liskeard

[Chris from Nailsea]

The prices of those various tickets are absolutely absurd! 

And I love the 'Route - Any Permitted' 

[LiskeardRich]

The prices of those various tickets are absolutely absurd! 

And I love the 'Route - Any Permitted' 

Up to 4 Children go anywhere with an adult on a Devon and Cornwall railcard for a quid, so a child could accompany it's adult for a quid from Penzance to Axminster, Tivvy parkway or Barnstaple being the 3 extremes. Can't complain at that!
I bought an child ticket for my child under 5 just to make the payment a round £5 and help figures along, I now Need a pound coin for the Tamar bridge toll in the morning! 
(I've got the 50p in my car already)

[John R]

A child return from Coombe to St Keyne is £0.85, so you get 2 entries/exits at 2 little used stations for that price.  That must be one of the most cost effective way of distorting the station stats.

[grahame]

A child return from Coombe to St Keyne is £0.85, so you get 2 entries/exits at 2 little used stations for that price.  That must be one of the most cost effective way of distorting the station stats.

A weekly season from Coombe to Plymouth costs the same as a weekly season from Liskeard to Plymouth - an even more effective way of distorting the figures if you happen to live in the Liskeard catchment.  And it could be argued that this is totally valid ticketing if you may want to extend your odd journey.

With all the ranger, rover, getting off short and joining late that goes on (differing out and in on the same return due to lack of trains at one end of the day) at some of these places, the numbers are - and are known to be - a bit out.  Morally it feels good to help the station through helping ticket sales, and it surely helps water down headlines of "in the least used 10 in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)".  At a more detailed forward planning level, significant distortions (and I'm not thinking so much Coombe) can be a headache to the extent that ticket sales aren't considered to give  proper view of station use.

[LiskeardRich]

A child return from Coombe to St Keyne is £0.85, so you get 2 entries/exits at 2 little used stations for that price.  That must be one of the most cost effective way of distorting the station stats.

£1.15 single, £1.20 return for a child.

Oops sorry I was looking at Coombe-Liskeard!

[LiskeardRich]

I did it again today, this time a Coombe to Looe return, with an over-distance excess on the return setting me back a further 20p

Out of interest because of the overdistance excess does the system now know I didn't exit at Coombe on the way back, thus not counting me?

[LiskeardRich]

For the 4th consecutive time, no opportunity to buy a ticket on board from Coombe Junction to Liskeard. I go into the ticket office at Liskeard but I imagine the vast majority don't.
The guard normally goes in to the back cab and doesn't reappear.