[from the Huddersfield Daily Examiner,Thursday 15th January 2015]<\/p>\n
Passengers on one of Britain\u2019s most expensive rail routes are calling for a fairer pricing system.<\/p>\n
At \u00a35.90 (84p per mile) a seven-mile single trans-Pennine trip from Greenfield to Marsden is still one of the country\u2019s priciest.<\/p>\n
By comparison it costs \u00a32.40 for a single\u00a0from Marsden\u00a0to Huddersfield (7.4 miles) and \u00a35.60 from Marsden to Leeds (27 miles).<\/p>\n
And if you\u2019re going further into Yorkshire it\u2019ll cost you even more. A single from Greenfield \u2013 officially part of Yorkshire until 1974 \u2013 to Leeds costs a whopping \u00a314.90.<\/p>\n
Crossing counties on Britain\u2019s rail network bumps up the ticket price.<\/p>\n
But including the cross-county fee the trip from Greenfield to Marsden seems expensive compared to equivalent cross-county trips.<\/p>\n
A single from Wigan, Greater Manchester, to St Helens, nine miles away in Merseyside costs \u00a34.40.<\/p>\n
While a 10-mile journey from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, to Chesterfield, Derbyshire, will set you back \u00a35.10.<\/p>\n
And a 16-mile trip from Darlington, County Durham, to Middlesbrough, Teesside, costs \u00a35.30.<\/p>\n
Greenfield resident David Haigh said:<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just looking at getting the train to New Pudsey to meet my wife after work.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me to get the train from Greenfield to New Pudsey is \u00a318.40 single. For me to get the train from Marsden to New Pudsey is \u00a34.70 single.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat works out at \u00a313.70 to go seven miles from Greenfield to Marsden.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is absolutely ridiculous.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The fare has since increased to \u00a318.90 and \u00a34.80 for two journeys respectively.<\/p>\n
You can sometimes save cash by buying more than one ticket or picking a different route.<\/p>\n
For example, if you buy two singles for a one-way journey \u2013 one from Greenfield to Marsden and another from Marsden to Leeds \u2013 you\u2019ll pay \u00a311.50.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s \u00a33.40 less than the \u00a314.90 \u2018cheapest fare\u2019 claimed by the official National Rail Enquiries website.<\/p>\n
But such bizarre cost-cutting methods have led to calls for a more logical fares system.<\/p>\n
Paul Salveson, transport professor at Huddersfield University, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole system has evolved higgledy-piggledy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt goes back to the times of British Rail and there\u2019s the added complications of the passenger transport executives (PTEs) with their own pricing systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can end up being very expensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt should be done on a northern basis not just for Greater Manchester and Yorkshire. There should be some short-term fare reductions\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s not impossible.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Prof Salveson added:<\/p>\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t any logical justification for it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
A spokesperson for\u00a0Northern Rail, which runs the Manchester to Leeds service stopping at Greenfield and Marsden, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are aware of the issues raised by commuters when travelling from Greenfield and Marsden. We set the fares for some journeys on the route while some tickets are set by other train operators.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to encourage as many people as possible to use our services from Greenfield and Marsden and we will continue to offer affordable fares from both stations.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
http:\/\/www.examiner.co.uk\/news\/west-yorkshire-news\/marsden-greenfield-train-expensive-fare-8443831?ICID=FB-Examiner-main<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[from the Huddersfield Daily Examiner,Thursday 15th January 2015] Passengers on one of Britain\u2019s most expensive rail routes are calling for a fairer pricing system. At \u00a35.90 (84p per mile) a seven-mile single trans-Pennine trip from Greenfield to Marsden is still … Continue reading