A £5 train journey with Northern Rail is costing passengers more than the price of a flight to Australia.

Last week, the ECHO revealed that Northern Rail were charging an extortionate £535 for a train journey that is meant to cost just a fiver.

The hour-long, 15-mile journey from Rainford to Birkenhead Park station costs £5.20 when booked through Trainsplit.

However, the exact same route is 103 times more expensive when booked through Northern Rail, and costs a staggering £535.

At the time a spokesperson from Northern Rail blamed a “system error” on the shocking price, and said they would amend it as soon as possible.

However, the cost of the ticket is still £535 - and that’s only for a one way journey.

The return trip from St Helens to Birkenhead is a whopping £1070, costing more than a return flight to Australia.

This comes after Northern Rail announced a controversial new fines and charging policy.

Passengers who wait to buy a ticket on the train could be made to pay double their fare under rule changes being introduced next month.

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Passengers running late will no longer be able to jump on board a train and buy a regular ticket on board.

Northern says the only exceptions will be passengers who can “demonstrate” they tried to buy a ticket but were unable to do so, due for example to a broken ticket machine. They can buy tickets from a conductor or at their destination.

The rail firm says customers can pre-buy ticket online, as well as getting them at stations, so there should be no excuse for not buying a ticket.

Liam Sumpter, regional director for Northern said the scheme aimed to stop the “minority of travellers who use trains without tickets, and added: “Their actions reduce the overall income of the rail industry and, as a result, reduces the money available to invest in further improvements to the railway.”