Pricing Query: Barnsley Huddersfield York

[studio_two]

Hi,

On a recent rail trip I need to get to York for my East Coast Journey.

I priced a ticket from Barnsley => York @ £13.50 (single off-peak).

However, I got offered a lift to Huddersfield and caught the train to York from there. However, this was a whopping £19.50 for a shorter journey! I was expecting it to be much cheaper.

To add insult to injury, both routes use the TPE Service from Leeds to York (which costs £13.30 if bought separately).

That means the cost of the Barnsley => Leeds leg is effectively £0.20 as opposed to the £6.20 from Huddersfield => Leeds.

How can a longer journey costs so much less? Is this fairly common?



TIA, Stephen

 

[mikeg]

Its not entirely uncommon and I suspect it is a case of the single fare not being well maintained. You could have always asked for the fare from Barnsley as it allows break of journey. Remember rail fares are market based and not based on distance.

 

[John @ home]

You could have always asked for the fare from Barnsley as it allows break of journey.

I don't think a £13.50 Anytime Day Single Barnsley - York via Leeds is permitted via Huddersfield.

Calculation
Barnsley is a Routeing Point.
York is a Routeing Point.
Mapped routes Barnsley - York are shown on Map DO and on Map MY.
Map DO permits:
Barnsley - Meadowhall - Swinton - Doncaster - York, and
Barnsley - Meadowhall - Swinton - Doncaster - Selby - York.
In addition, travel via Sheffield is allowed by:
Doubleback Easement 700507
Customers travelling from Barnsley, Wombwell, Elsecar and Chapletown to or via Doncaster may double back between Meadowhall and Sheffield. This easement applies in both directions.
Map MY permits:
Barnsley - Wakefield Group - Pontefract Group - Leeds Group - York, and
Barnsley - Wakefield Group - Leeds Group - York.
The shortest route, calculated by reference to the mileages shown in the National Rail Timetable, is also a permitted route. The shortest route Barnsley - York is:
Barnsley - Darton - Wakefield Kirkgate - Wakefield Westgate - Outwood - Leeds - Cross Gates - Garforth - East Garforth - Mickelfield - Church Fenton - Ulleskelf - York.
(This is also a mapped route using map MY.)

 

[soil]

The pricing scheme is inconsistent and varies according to single or return, etc.

Leeds - York (Any Permitted) £13.30 CDS, £14.20 SDS, £13.40 CDR, £17.10 SDR, £18.10 SVR, £22 SOR

Barnsley - York (via Leeds) - £13.50 SDS, £19.30 SDR
(There are more fares routed via Sheffield, and if you want a period return that's the cheapest option, even if going via Leeds, as there is no period return for the Leeds fare)

So for a single, Barnsley - York via Leeds is cheaper than Leeds - York. But for a return Leeds - York is cheaper.

Meanwhile

Barnsley - Leeds £8.70 SDS, £8.90 CDR £10.60 SDR, £11.20 SHR

Huddersfield - Leeds £5.70 SDS, £7.30 CDR, £8.90 SDR

Huddersfield - York £19.50 CDS, £21.10 SDS, £19.60 CDR, £22.50 SVR, £27.60 SOR

So you need to pay more-or-less the full cost of the Huddersfield - Leeds fare as part of that journey, whereas the Barnsley - Leeds leg is thrown in more-or-less free.

 

[mikeg]

You're quite right johm@home It's not valid via Huddersfield. Maps DO or MY. Neither of them featuring Huddersfield. Tbh I'd taken the op's word for it and not checked the routeing guide.

 

[soil]

I don't think a £13.50 Anytime Day Single Barnsley - York via Leeds is permitted via Huddersfield.

Detailed calculation to follow.

It's not permitted on an Any Permitted ticket either...

What you CAN do, is exploit the lack of a 'Via Leeds' fare from Huddersfield and buy a ticket from Penistone instead.

Penistone (you could use Dodworth or Silkstone Common as well, but Penistone is too awesome a name to pass up).

The Penistone - York fare is valid using Huddersfield as a routeing point on the basis that you compare the Penistone - York Any Permitted fare with the Huddersfield - York Any Permitted fare, even though you are buying a 'Via Leeds' fare (since there is no 'Via Leeds' fare from Huddersfield, we should compare Any Permitted with Any Permitted)

Since Huddersfield - York goes Via Leeds, it makes a Penistone - York Via Leeds fare valid to start from Huddersfield.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Funny this should crop up as I was recently looking at an old thread of mine that asked a similar question.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=85493

Some of the replies on the old thread suggest that the route via Huddersfield was permitted at one stage but has now been withdrawn, though of course with it being an old thread, the situation may since have changed.

 

[studio_two]

I don't think a £13.50 Anytime Day Single Barnsley - York via Leeds is permitted via Huddersfield.

Correct. You have to travel via Leeds essentially. The irony is that it you join the same service that has just travelled from Huddersfield.

 

[studio_two]

Funny this should crop up as I was recently looking at an old thread of mine that asked a similar question.

Yes, I saw that thread. Very interesting.