The LNER Encyclopedia

Waiting for a Down train today at Ware on the way to an appointment in Hertford, a lady approached me rather timidly and asked if I'd take part in a postal survey. Why she chose me rather than the half dozen or so other people on the platform is an open question (Carrying a briefcase? Wearing a university scarf? Reading The Guardian?). Anyway, I graciously accepted her form and pre-paid reply envelope.

I then spent longer completing the questionnaire than I did on the train! It was worth it though just to use the "free form" section headed "Do you have any other comments to offer about rail travel from Ware?" (or something similar) and be able to write "Yes. Why is an off peak return from Ware to Southampton Central priced at £43.80 when the same ticket from Hertford East is only £38.00? Furthermore, why is an off peak return from Ware to Wickford £16.70 when the same ticket from Hertford East is only £16.00? In both cases NXEA are charging a higher fare for a shorter journey".

I doubt the people employed to "analyse" the survey will understand my point, but I'm sure many here will. The "Southampton anomaly" apparently extends as far south as Cheshunt I've discovered - I wonder how many people there realise that? So someone who's come all the way from Hertford is paying £5.80 less than someone boarding the same train at Cheshunt for the same destination on the same type of ticket.

Can someone convince me, please, that the world's going mad and not me?

Such "anomalies" pre-date Privatisation, and I wouldn't be surprised if they pre-date Nationalisation as well.
A well known BR era one being that tickets to Gatwick were typically more than to the next station (Three Bridges if heading southwards). There are business and economic reasons for it. Prices of goods and services rarely reflect just the cost of supplying that good or service, but also include things like supply and demand, high-low marketing, etc.


Richard

richard wrote:Such "anomalies" pre-date Privatisation, and I wouldn't be surprised if they pre-date Nationalisation as well.
A well known BR era one being that tickets to Gatwick were typically more than to the next station (Three Bridges if heading southwards). There are business and economic reasons for it. Prices of goods and services rarely reflect just the cost of supplying that good or service, but also include things like supply and demand, high-low marketing, etc.


Richard

Fair points, but in the case of Ware the Southampton fare discrepancy exceeds the cost of two off peak returns to Hertford East. That has to be lunacy surely?

That sounds more like a peak vs. off peak difference, rather than a difference between two locations?

Richard

G'Day Gents

Next time your at your local station (with a booking office thats open) ask for the price of an off peak ticket to either St Denys or Millbrook, there the stations before and after Southampton, you might be surprised, to find them cheaper, it used to be that way, and sometimes you can book online and in advance, cheaper that way to, no harm in asking
manna