Most Brits know it's not always cheap to travel by train these days.
However, one man was left gobsmacked when he discovered it would cost him nearly £800 to travel from Newcastle to London and back.
The man, named Lee, took to X (formerly Twitter) to moan about the prices – and many other Brits couldn't believe it as they branded the cost of the train ticket "obscene".
The post saw Lee share a screenshot of the 'cheapest' Standard Return where you could travel at anytime, showing it would cost him £786.80.
Meanwhile, if he wanted to travel in the First Class cabin, he'd have to fork out an eye-watering £1049.20. A first class ticket would get you a 'complimentary' hot or cold meal at least, though.
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Captioning his snap, Lee wrote: "For a return from Newcastle to London. @LNER, are you out of your actual minds?!"
The post has since gone viral after being shared this week – racking up a staggering 6.2million views.
Many were shocked about the prices, as one person asked: "Do you get to keep the train?" Another quipped: "You were meant to book 7 years in advance. Just how it goes." While a third chimed in: "I looked at train to Newcastle for a university open day with son. Cheaper to buy a car and drive there."
A simple search on LNER's website shows you can get the train ticket much cheaper (LNER)Someone else also added: "Train operating companies have long held a licence to print money. It's utterly obscene."
Another person claimed they'd just board without a ticket and take the penalty fare instead, however LNER replied: "We wouldn't recommend that. The Unpaid Fares Notice is the price of an Anytime Single."
Some people suggested Lee could have found a cheaper ticket, as one person wrote: "I call bulls**t. Plenty of tickets next Tuesday open return for £156. Do this route (actually from Alnmouth so further) few times a month and never paid more than £180."
However, Lee replied: "You can call whatever you want, Gavin. I'm way too busy to have concocted a fake train price. Are you OK?"
A search on the LNER website also shows that tickets from Newcastle to London can be much cheaper than what Lee found, depending on day and time of journey – with return Newcastle to London tickets as cheap as £81.20 online for a standard seat.
Someone else also pointed out that it might be easier to fly, saying British Airways charges £70 for an hour flight from Newcastle to London.
A spokesperson for LNER said: "We haven’t been provided with the full details for this journey. However, it appears the prices quoted are for peak time travel during a period of very high demand. Alternative trains have much cheaper Advance and 70 Minute Flex tickets available for travel in Standard from Newcastle to London King's Cross, subject to seating capacity being available.
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"We always encourage customers to book as early as possible for best value fares."
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