Most pointless journey for which a fare is available

[Bletchleyite]

Have we had Polesworth to Bordesley? Anytime day single at £9.70 so valid all day long!

There's an Off Peak Day Return from Polesworth to Stafford.

You can't use either half, because:

Outward: the train is at 0650, the restriction is "Not valid on trains timed to depart after 04:29 and before 09:00."
Return: er, there isn't one

 

[Dai Corner]

Newport- Pye Corner Route: Not via Cardiff SDS £4.90



This journey is only possible during engineering work when Ebbw Vale - Cardiff trains are diverted to Newport via the otherwise freight only Park Junction-Gaer Junction line. This has only occurred a handful of times since the branch was reopened in 2008.

(The parallel Stagecoach 151 bus runs every 12 mins and is £2 single I think)

 

[Steddenm]

Have we had East Croydon to West Croydon? There is a single and return fare available which is not routed by Tram.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Altrincham to Hale or Navigation Road. Both £2.40 and both 15 minutes or less walk from Alty.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Altrincham to Hale or Navigation Road. Both £2.40 and both 15 minutes or less walk from Alty.

Altrincham to Navigation Road is also undercut by the parallel Manchester Metrolink tram service at £1.40 for a Zone 4 single.

 

[_toommm_]

Hyde North to Flowery Field. It’s a 5 minute walk, or anywhere from 20 to 50 minutes by rail with a £3.50 charge.

 

[pj13]

Apologies if already mentioned I couldn't see it but:
Reading to Reading West.
£2 single or £2.70 return.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I think there's walks inside tube stations longer than CG to Leicester Sq...

Yes around Kings Cross St Pancras I think (And in many Paris Metro Stations)

 

[87007]

Well, walking from Oxford road to Picc is not as easy as it looks.
I’ve done once, must have took 15 mins.

Feels like 15 mins walking around Piccadilly to Platform 14

 

[Old Yard Dog]

I once bought a single ticket from Glasgow Central to Charing Cross (Glasgow), near where my hotel was. I bought the ticket from the TVM at Glasgow Central and changed at Partick without any problems. I had heavy luggage and hadn't done either line.

Some years later, I discovered that this was not a permitted route, in fact the fare to Charing Cross was less than the fare to Partick. Despite buying my ticket at Central, I was expected to make my own way to Queen Street and catch a train from there.

Are there any other instances of situations where a passenger buys a ticket from a TVM at a particular station but is not permitted to travel from that station?

 

[plugwash]

IIRC there have been such issues in London with TVMs selling tickets from London Terminals when they should have been selling tickets from London Thameslink.

 

[Jamesrob637]

There's an Off Peak Day Return from Polesworth to Stafford.

You can't use either half, because:

Outward: the train is at 0650, the restriction is "Not valid on trains timed to depart after 04:29 and before 09:00."
Return: er, there isn't one

So the outbound can only be used on Saturdays and the return, never!

Gare du Nord to La Chapelle - you can walk it the whole way under cover in 10-15min!

Yes around Kings Cross St Pancras I think (And in many Paris Metro Stations)

The one in Paris I quoted above

 

[Bletchleyite]

There are plenty of one-stop shortish journeys that people are putting down as "pointless" - several on Merseyrail, for instance Leasowe to Moreton is only about a kilometre, Walton to Orrell Park a bit shorter, Aughton Park to Town Green not much more. These might come in useful to someone in a hurry (or of limited mobility, perhaps) whose need coincides with the train time, though, so these aren't really pointless.

 

[4COR]

Are there any other instances of situations where a passenger buys a ticket from a TVM at a particular station but is not permitted to travel from that station?

I'm sure I've bought (some.time.ago) a single to Oxford from London Liverpool St before from a TVM - here it should be an Underground Z1 to Oxford, but it dispensed me a ticket from London Terminals - useless as the first trip is on the tube and it has no cross.

 

[Irascible]

St Budeaux Ferry road to St Budeaux Victoria road - £18 ( thats the NR fare at least ), 31 mins, 1 change, and they are literally over a bridge from one another. A lot of places would call them one station...

 

[Deafdoggie]

St Budeaux Ferry road to St Budeaux Victoria road - £18 ( thats the NR fare at least ), 31 mins, 1 change, and they are literally over a bridge from one another. A lot of places would call them one station...

As previously mentioned when someone else posted this journey, it’s not a point to point fare, merely a rover.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

£18 is the "Ride Cornwall" day ranger isn't it?

Includes rail and buses.

Wonder why the £13 (?) rail only "Cornwall Ranger" isn't offered?

 

[Jamesrob637]

£18 is the "Ride Cornwall" day ranger isn't it?

Includes rail and buses.

Wonder why the £13 (?) rail only "Cornwall Ranger" isn't offered?

Ride Cornwall didn't include buses at the lower price.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Ride Cornwall didn't include buses at the lower price.

Sorry, don't follow your point?

 

[Llandudno]

There are plenty of one-stop shortish journeys that people are putting down as "pointless" - several on Merseyrail, for instance Leasowe to Moreton is only about a kilometre, Walton to Orrell Park a bit shorter, Aughton Park to Town Green not much more. These might come in useful to someone in a hurry (or of limited mobility, perhaps) whose need coincides with the train time, though, so these aren't really pointles

 

[Jamesrob637]

Sorry, don't follow your point?

Was Ride Cornwall hiked to include buses?

 

[Llandudno]

There are plenty of one-stop shortish journeys that people are putting down as "pointless" - several on Merseyrail, for instance Leasowe to Moreton is only about a kilometre, Walton to Orrell Park a bit shorter, Aughton Park to Town Green not much more. These might come in useful to someone in a hurry (or of limited mobility, perhaps) whose need coincides with the train time, though, so these aren't really pointless.

Agree these journeys are not pointless if you have limited mobility or have shopping. With a turn up and go 15 minute frequency and ‘000s of free travel pass holders I am sure there many short hop journeys made!

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

St Budeaux Ferry road to St Budeaux Victoria road - £18 ( thats the NR fare at least ), 31 mins, 1 change, and they are literally over a bridge from one another. A lot of places would call them one station...

A similar one could be, Tyndrum Upper and Lower in Western Scotland? Also the stations in Newhaven Sussex are quite close I think.

 

[plugwash]

There are plenty of one-stop shortish journeys that people are putting down as "pointless" - several on Merseyrail, for instance Leasowe to Moreton is only about a kilometre, Walton to Orrell Park a bit shorter, Aughton Park to Town Green not much more. These might come in useful to someone in a hurry (or of limited mobility, perhaps) whose need coincides with the train time, though, so these aren't really pointles

Agree, I took pointless as those journeys where the rail option is not just worse than the alternatives, but so much worse than the alternative that noone informed would use it for the purposes of transport (of course some may do it just because they like riding trains, and some may do it because they don't know any better).

 

[Bletchleyite]

Agree these journeys are not pointless if you have limited mobility or have shopping. With a turn up and go 15 minute frequency and ‘000s of free travel pass holders I am sure there many short hop journeys made!

I'd imagine Walton to Orrell Park is very common - the former is a primarily residential area, the latter is at one end of Walton Vale shops. Most likely a single or return fare is not sold, though; as you say, it's mostly going to be passholders, I'd imagine a fair few with those olde-worlde shopping trolleys and the likes.

Some will take the bus, though, as that runs parallel with the railway and may go nearer where they want.

 

[madjack]

The Tyndrum one looked good but it's a no-go unfortunately.

ETA I guess they'd sell you a return from TYNDRUM STATIONS to CRIANLARICH.

 

[ServerHoster]

Kirkdale to Bank Hall

25 min by train (+1 change) costs £2.40
10 min walking

 

[Kite159]

I'd imagine Walton to Orrell Park is very common - the former is a primarily residential area, the latter is at one end of Walton Vale shops. Most likely a single or return fare is not sold, though; as you say, it's mostly going to be passholders, I'd imagine a fair few with those olde-worlde shopping trolleys and the likes.

Some will take the bus, though, as that runs parallel with the railway and may go nearer where they want.

And probably a fair few who decide that paying for a ticket is too much of a hassle knowing the odds of getting caught out are minimal for those single hop journeys

 

[Jozhua]

Well, walking from Oxford road to Picc is not as easy as it looks.
I’ve done once, must have took 15 mins.

Easy, just follow Whitworth Street across and you're basically there.

Most of the inner station stuff is there for people changing from other services. What's really annoying is I live super close to Salford Central, but none of the trains through there go anywhere I want to go and there are no direct connections to Piccadilly or Oxford Road. Quickest option is a 20-25 minute walk across the city...

 

[plugwash]

Multiple main roads to cross though.

The road junction just outside picadilly is particuarly annoying. The timing on the pedestrian lights is pretty short and all the pedestrian lights go together.

So when you arrive on the south pavement of fairfield street and want to get to the station, you either cross some portions when you don't have a green man, cross one part and wait a complete cycle of the lights to cross the next part, or wait for a green man and run across the center of the junction.