The Price of Train Tickets

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The above photo is of a boring, modern train, passing through Marsden station.

A while ago I read an article in one of the papers about an interesting canal walk in Marple, near Manchester. I though, I’ll add it add it to my list of places to visit. I’ve just looked in Camra’s Good Beer Guide and found two interesting micro pubs in the town. It’s almost at the top of the list now.

Because of the drinking I can’t drive, so it’s the train.

Using my senior citizens pass an off-peak day return from Marsden to Marple is £15.70 (a two-thirds discounted price). A lot of money.

The first station in Greater Manchester is Greenfield. A return from Greenfield to Marple is £5.50. A return from Marsden to Greenfield is £5.25. So, by buying two tickets the cost is £10.75, almost £5 cheaper!

For it to work without getting off the train, you need both tickets when you board at Marsden (you can buy them online). If not, you need to alight at Greenfield, buy your second ticket, and then catch the next train.

The distance from Marsden to Greenfield is six or seven miles, the train takes seven minutes. The distance from Greenfield to Marple is around twenty miles. The train takes fifty-five minutes with a ten-minute wait at Manchester Picadilly station.

So why the difference?

A seniors return from Marsden to Liverpool is £27.95. A seniors return from Greenfield to Liverpool is £15.85. Liverpool is over 50 miles away. So why does the price drop by £12 if I get the train from a station that’s around 7 miles nearer. It doesn’t make sense.

The problem with the price of tickets from Marsden towards Greater Manchester is well known. It’s because the train passes between two counties, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. We call it the tunnel tax; the train passes through the Standedge tunnel. I’ve spoken to a number of Colne Valley MPs about this over the years, and-non have provided a satisfactory answer.

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