Cheapest point to point fare

[whole diary]

[John R]

Before anyone points out that my answer was temporary, and so cheating, you can also travel between the three Heathrow stations for free.

Same when you try to get the fare from Snow Hill to New Street or Moor Street to New street - Nil

Of course snow hill to moor street is ^1.50

Though would that be valid if you tried to do it? Is there a permitted route?

[Mookiemoo]

Before anyone points out that my answer was temporary, and so cheating, you can also travel between the three Heathrow stations for free.

Same when you try to get the fare from Snow Hill to New Street or Moor Street to New street - Nil

Of course snow hill to moor street is ^1.50

Though would that be valid if you tried to do it? Is there a permitted route?

Ah - I can tell you are not a Midlander

About five/six years ago they seemed to disconnect New Street from the through line through Moor Street and Snow Hill - so if you get a Service from Kiddie to either Shirley/Stratford or the Chiltern to London you go Moor Street then Snow Hill.

When I first moved up here in 2002 SOME kiddies services DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) go to NEw Street but that stopped not long after - now the two lines are completely seperate in terms of passenger services

[IndustryInsider]

Barry Doe reckons that the cheapest annual season ticket is Ryde to Ryde Pier.  Could your 70p fare be the walk-up single price?

I've found an 80p single just a little further south - Lake to Shanklin. Could that be your fare? After all it was 70p when this Wikipedia entry was made: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_railway_station - see the picture of the ticket.

I noticed that doing a little research a few weeks ago as I'm going to spend a week on the Isle of Wight in the spring and will no doubt drag the g/f onto the railway!

[Brucey]

Barry Doe reckons that the cheapest annual season ticket is Ryde to Ryde Pier.  Could your 70p fare be the walk-up single price?

I've found an 80p single just a little further south - Lake to Shanklin. Could that be your fare? After all it was 70p when this Wikipedia entry was made: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_railway_station - see the picture of the ticket.

I noticed that doing a little research a few weeks ago as I'm going to spend a week on the Isle of Wight in the spring and will no doubt drag the g/f onto the railway!

Very close again!  My fare for 70p is Lake to Sandown

I've not yet worked out the ^88 season ticket or the cheapest 1st/advance fares.

[John R]

Before anyone points out that my answer was temporary, and so cheating, you can also travel between the three Heathrow stations for free.

Same when you try to get the fare from Snow Hill to New Street or Moor Street to New street - Nil

Of course snow hill to moor street is ^1.50

Though would that be valid if you tried to do it? Is there a permitted route?

Ah - I can tell you are not a Midlander

About five/six years ago they seemed to disconnect New Street from the through line through Moor Street and Snow Hill - so if you get a Service from Kiddie to either Shirley/Stratford or the Chiltern to London you go Moor Street then Snow Hill.

When I first moved up here in 2002 SOME kiddies services DID^» (Didcot Parkway - next trains) go to NEw Street but that stopped not long after - now the two lines are completely seperate in terms of passenger services

That's why I asked. I'm not a midlander, but very familiar with the geography and service pattern, so it would be a pretty bizarre thing to try to do. The timetabling systems will assume that you walk from one to the other.

[eightf48544]

Newhaven Marine to Newhaven Harbour.

I know someone who had a Annual Gold Card for this journey.

Considered it worthwhile for the discounts on the rest of NSE^▸ (Network South East).

Can't do it today as Newhaven Marine does not appear on Nationalrail Enquiries. Quote from PSUL web site.

Newhaven Harbour Junction - Newhaven Harbour [platform 3 = Marine platform] WE
N 2015 SSuX Newhaven Marine - Lewes [this unadvertised service "temporarily" suspended from Thursday 17 August 2006 until further notice because of the condition of the Marine platform roof]

Also from PSUL there is still a residual service fro New Street to Kidderminster.

Galton Junction - Smethwick West (57) CG
0500 SuX Birmingham New Street - Cardiff Central
2150 SSuX Cardiff Central - Birmingham New Street
2012 SSuX Paignton - Birmingham New Street

[devon_metro]

Think Plymouth!

Barry Doe reckons that the cheapest annual season ticket is Ryde to Ryde Pier.  Could your 70p fare be the walk-up single price?

I've found an 80p single just a little further south - Lake to Shanklin. Could that be your fare? After all it was 70p when this Wikipedia entry was made: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_railway_station - see the picture of the ticket.

I noticed that doing a little research a few weeks ago as I'm going to spend a week on the Isle of Wight in the spring and will no doubt drag the g/f onto the railway!

Very close again!  My fare for 70p is Lake to Sandown

I've not yet worked out the ^88 season ticket or the cheapest 1st/advance fares.

[Brucey]

Think Plymouth!

Devonport to Dockyard
Also 70p for a Single.

So far, we have:
Cheapest season: Devenport to Dockyard, ^88.00
Cheapest single: Devenport to Dockyard and Sandown to Lake, 70p

Any advances on these?

[JayMac]

I would baulk at paying an extortionate 70p for the CDS^▸ (Off Peak Day Single [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) from DPT-DOC.

Luckily I have a Railcard so for me it is a much more agreeable 45p 

[Brucey]

I would baulk at paying an extortionate 70p for the CDS^▸ (Off Peak Day Single [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) from DPT-DOC.

Luckily I have a Railcard so for me it is a much more agreeable 45p 

The journey is timetabled to take 1 minute, but in reality is probably much shorter.

The EC website gives this suggestion, still 70p: Devenport - Plymouth, Plymouth - St Germans, St Germans - Dockyard.  Depart Devonport at 19:55, arrive Dockyard at 21:13.  Not sure if this is valid but is certainly suggested by EC.

[JayMac]

Nice spot Brucey.

With the NRCoC^▸ (National Rail Conditions of Carriage) allowance to join and alight short on many ticket types you could use the DPT-DOC fares and the Routeing Guide to save a few bob on fares from the intermediate stations. An example would be Saltash to Plymouth, ^2.80 CDS^▸ (Off Peak Day Single [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) but with the DPT-DOC fare you save ^2.10.

Another thing I noticed from the EastCoast journey planner (have checked NRE^‡(resolve) and FGW^▸ (First Great Western) as well - they both concur) is that, on the 1955 ex DPT arriving DOC 2113, you go through Saltash twice!!

[Brucey]

With the NRCoC^▸ (National Rail Conditions of Carriage) allowance to join and alight short on many ticket types you could use the DPT-DOC fares and the Routeing Guide to save a few bob on fares from the intermediate stations. An example would be Saltash to Plymouth, ^2.80 CDS^▸ (Off Peak Day Single [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) but with the DPT-DOC fare you save ^2.10.

I never thought of this.  Must be allowed through an easement as I believe that Dockyard and Devonport are both in the same routeing group (so only direct travel allowed).

Another anomaly (slightly off topic) I found whilst in my search for cheap Island Line fares: fares to the Isle of Wight can be routed "Hovertravel".  A day return on the hovercraft is ^13.40 when bought at the Hoverport.  A train ticket from Fratton to Ryde Hoverport costs ^10.50 (CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day'))) and ^10.60 (SDR).  Railcard discounts apply to the train part of the journey, meaning with a railcard ^10.10 (CDR) or ^10.15 (SDR).  For 4 people (all adults), at the Hoverport ^53.60, on a Groupsave rail ticket ^39.60 (saving ^14.00).  The train tickets even include a return bus journey on the Hoverbus (no, it doesn't hover!) from Portsmouth & Southsea station.

I honestly can't believe how many anomalies there are in the fares system (which I only started to find out about when I joined this website).  I now seem to have become the definitive resource to saving money (and stretching the rules*) on train journeys amongst my friends.

* When I say stretching the rules, I mean examples as quoted in the post above and in this post, nothing illegal!

[JayMac]

I maybe wrong in my assertion that you can use the Routeing Guide and NRCoC^▸ (National Rail Conditions of Carriage) to use a DPT-DOC fare to save a few bob on say, STS-PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains). It is interesting that journey planners show convoluted options via St Germans at either end of the day. I checked the list of easements in the Routeing Guide and there is nothing mentioned. However, there must be an easement if the JPs allow the option. This hidden easement could of course apply just to the two journey options explicitly listed. JPs give no fare if you put via Saltash or St Germans into the search criteria. Via Plymouth is however acceptable, so still 30p to be saved on DPT-PLY fare!

[readytostart]

Also from PSUL there is still a residual service fro New Street to Kidderminster.

Galton Junction - Smethwick West (57) CG
0500 SuX Birmingham New Street - Cardiff Central
2150 SSuX Cardiff Central - Birmingham New Street
2012 SSuX Paignton - Birmingham New Street

Think you'll find these are route retaining services, not stopping, but timed at Kiddie.

[JayMac]

* When I say stretching the rules, I mean examples as quoted in the post above and in this post, nothing illegal!

Watch out when stretching the rules. Some rules are very ambiguous, and your interpretation may differ from the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company). I have recent experience...... see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=6156.0