Why is it cheaper to travel further on the same train route?

farringtonb

Could someone please explain why it is CHEAPER to travel FURTHER on the same train line?

For example from Southport to Carlisle on March 17th 2017 at 9.51 is £8 for a single with a connection in Wigan.

This train goes through Penrith.

But a single to Penrith at same time and date and again through Wigan, is £38.50 and the train later goes to Carlisle (which is only £8!).

It makes zero sense

Could someone please enlighten me??

Rosemary7391

I have no idea how it actually works, but it seems plausible that journeys finishing at a station pay the costs of running that station? In which case Penrith as a small station probably costs more per passenger than Carlisle. That's quite a steep difference though! Other than that, some quirk of the way advance fares are allocated and sold?

wealdroam

farringtonb wrote: »

Could someone please explain why it is CHEAPER to travel FURTHER on the same train line?

For example from Southport to Carlisle on March 17th 2017 at 9.51 is £8 for a single with a connection in Wigan.

This train goes through Penrith.

But a single to Penrith at same time and date and again through Wigan, is £38.50 and the train later goes to Carlisle (which is only £8!).

It makes zero sense

Could someone please enlighten me??

One reason is that you are not comparing like with like.

That £8 ticket is an Advance Single. That ticket is only valid on a specific train.

That £38.50 ticket is an Anytime Single which is valid on any train on the day.

You are trading flexibility for a reduction in price.

A better comparison would be comparing Anytime Singles.
An Anytime Single from Southport to Carlisle is £44.50, which as you might expect is more than the Anytime Single to Penrith.

To pre-empt your next question... I have no idea why there are no Advance Singles offered from Southport to Penrith.
I can only guess that the train company has decided that they don't need to offer the cheaper tickets - maybe they feel they have no need to encourage travellers from Southport to Penrith.

Edited to add:
You can probably reduce that £38.50 fare from Southport to Penrith by splitting at Wigan.
An Anytime Day Single from Southport to Wigan is £8.20.
Advance Singles from Wigan to Penrith can be had for £8.00.
Thus Southport to Penrith can be done for just over £16.

farringtonb

Thank you for the replies. It just puzzled me. I presume but perhaps could be wrong, you can depart at Penrith if your ticket is to and from Carlisle?

Once again thanks for the replies

martindow

Around London shorter journeys can end up more expensive. Oxford to Paddington travelling through Reading has some very cheap advance fares. From Reading to Paddington there are none so, providing you are happy to be tied to specific trains Oxford can be cheaper. These tickets will not be valid for travelling short.

Oxford is competing with very frequent and cheap bus services and now Chiltern trains to Marylebone.

daveyjp

farringtonb wrote: »

I presume but perhaps could be wrong, you can depart at Penrith if your ticket is to and from Carlisle?

Once again thanks for the replies

On a cheaper advanced ticket don't try it. Alighting short can be against ticket T&Cs.

zagubov

That's interesting. Has anybody been sued for finishing a journey early?

wealdroam

zagubov wrote: »

Has anybody been sued for finishing a journey early?

Yes. Here's one example.

I do believe the train companies' policies have changed on this though - to something like only asking for the difference between the price of the ticket purchased and the ticket that should've been bought.

jon81uk

daveyjp wrote: »

On a cheaper advanced ticket don't try it. Alighting short can be against ticket T&Cs.

Also if there are barriers or ticket checkers you won't be allowed out of the station with a ticket that doesn't name the correct station.

Voyager2002

farringtonb wrote: »

Thank you for the replies. It just puzzled me. I presume but perhaps could be wrong, you can depart at Penrith if your ticket is to and from Carlisle?

Once again thanks for the replies

No. I would deal with this situation by buying a ticket to Penrith from somewhere nearby as well as the ticket to Carlisle, so that I would be able to leave the station.

cookie365

Voyager2002 wrote: »

No. I would deal with this situation by buying a ticket to Penrith from somewhere nearby as well as the ticket to Carlisle, so that I would be able to leave the station.

Which if you got caught would indicate you knew exactly what you were doing, so you'd be more likely to find yourself going straight to a prosecution without any chance of settling out of court.