The Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has said the Piccadilly to London return train is more expensive than flying to Jamaica, India, Brazil, or Ivory Coast.
Burnham took to social media to showcase the lack of difference in price compared with a two hour train journey and a 10 hour flight.
He tweeted: "Return tickets from Manchester: India £343; Jamaica £345; Brazil £325; Ivory Coast £319; London (rail) £369."
However there were some sceptics, with one user writing: "If you are going to do a comparison make sure you do it right. You don't just rock up at an airport and fly to India if you do you pay the price.
"Same with the train.
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"Those prices you quoted are *anytime* or just turn up. You can get as return for around £70 if you book advance."
Another added: "Not a very fair comparison.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't think there should be a £369 ticket in the first place, however the reality is there are much cheaper fares available most of the time."
Mark Smith, an international rail travel guru, also said: “Sigh. The usual story.
"They’re all cheap limited-availability advance-purchase fares except the rail one which is of course the fully flexible and refundable, unlimited availability good-for-any-train business fare for business people for when the company is paying.”
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The Mayor has since hit back, tweeting: "For those who don’t believe it."
His caption was placed alongside a screenshot of the cheapest fare from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, which was £369.40.
He also added: "First - to all those who helpfully pointed out the wide range of advance fares: Thanks, but what if there’s no ability to book in advance? What if you have to drop everything first thing on Monday morning and head to Piccadilly?
"Second - to those who said a turn-up-and-go ticket is not comparable to a book-in-advance flight: You’re technically right. But I wasn’t making a technical point.
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"I was making the broad point that a rail journey to London should never cost more than a trip to Brazil!
"Third - to those of you who said I made up the cost of the flights: This was taken from the Skyscanner website yesterday (original figures Wednesday).
"So, all that said, can we now agree that £369.40 for a two-hour rail journey and 400-mile round trip is daylight robbery Cheers."
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One social media wrote: "I paid £450 at the weekend and there was standing room only.”
Another said: "I don’t understand how anyone can look at a £369 train fare and then go on to justify it ‘it’s an open return, last minute, blah blah’.
"Totally missing the point: £369 is a stupid amount for a 2 hour train ride and that’s it!"
Anish Vij