A train ticket for a 64-mile journey between Taunton and Trowbridge was listed at £10,000 on Great Western Railway's (GWR) website, sparking confusion among passengers. The first-class fare, available from 22 May to 14 July, worked out at £156 per mile and prohibited travel via Bristol.
GWR attributed the exorbitant price to an IT problem, stating that the fare was published for a non-existent first-class journey. A spokesperson confirmed the glitch has been corrected, noting that standard anytime single fares for the route start at £12.70.
The same ticket was also listed on Trainline's website for 20 June. Trainline emphasised that fares are set by rail operators, not by third-party retailers. A spokesperson for Trainline said the anomaly appeared on GWR's own channels, suggesting it was a fare-setting error rather than a technical issue on their part.
Consumer expert Martin Lewis commented on the incident, telling BBC Radio 5's Adrian Chiles that such mistakes are common and likely stem from a database error. The incident highlights the occasional glitches in rail pricing systems that can lead to misleading fares.
