Galway-Dublin - By Air

ve · 23-04-2008 6:51pm #1

Hi, I want to be able to make same day business trips to Dublin from Galway (morning out, evening back). My goal is to be within the Dublin City centre by start of business and able to get back after close of business on the same day. I see this is possible with the likes of Aer Arann, but at approx €250 for two people return, that's a bit mad. We could get the train for about €70, and that would have us from city centre to city centre for the €70. A cab ride to/from Dublin airport would be on top of the €250 above, which makes the whole thing a bit off putting.

Is there a cheaper way to get flights?

Surely this sort of thing is done to death on a daily basis for other business travellers.

Ham'nd'egger · 23-04-2008 7:07pm

ve wrote: »

Hi, I want to be able to make same day business trips to Dublin from Galway (morning out, evening back). My goal is to be within the Dublin City centre by start of business and able to get back after close of business on the same day. I see this is possible with the likes of Aer Arann, but at approx €250 for two people return, that's a bit mad. We could get the train for about €70, and that would have us from city centre to city centre for the €70. A cab ride to/from Dublin airport would be on top of the €250 above, which makes the whole thing a bit off putting.

Is there a cheaper way to get flights?

Surely this sort of thing is done to death on a daily basis for other business travellers.

The relatively short distances between most cities and Dublin make it fringing on impractical to fly domestic given traveling to and from airports and check in's at the airport etc, especially on that sort of prices. It is only when you get to Cork. Kerry or Derry that air begins to challenge surface transport. You could try book flights earlier but it goes without saying that it is impossible for the short notice trip.

I recently did Dublin-Galway rail and it was €31.50 day return; I left my house at 10:30AM, stopped off for a paper and water and then into Easons and the cafe for tea and I was in Eyre Square for 2PM and no stress.

It's realistically only bus or car that will rival rail in your case

dumbyearbook · 23-04-2008 7:10pm

ve wrote: »

Hi, I want to be able to make same day business trips to Dublin from Galway (morning out, evening back). My goal is to be within the Dublin City centre by start of business and able to get back after close of business on the same day. I see this is possible with the likes of Aer Arann, but at approx €250 for two people return, that's a bit mad. We could get the train for about €70, and that would have us from city centre to city centre for the €70. A cab ride to/from Dublin airport would be on top of the €250 above, which makes the whole thing a bit off putting.

Is there a cheaper way to get flights?

Surely this sort of thing is done to death on a daily basis for other business travellers.

Drive ?

3 Hrs from M50 to Eyre Sq. cost not much really, new by pass at Lough Rea makes a real difference.

serfboard · 23-04-2008 7:24pm

I echo all the other posters. I did a lot of traveling up and down by any means possible - air, road and rail and found that air was probably worst of all in terms of total time taken.

In the end, I used to go on the train - just over 2 hours to Dublin city centre and a very relaxing way to travel. In fact, I think you can even buy Luas returns along with your train ticket.

ve · 23-04-2008 8:10pm

Crap!. That's what the evidence was suggesting alright. It's a terrible shame though. I mean if I wanted to make it office to office within 2 hours, it's just not possible.

Driving is probably what I'm going to have to do. I really thought that flying was something done on a daily basis by many commuters. If it was more like €70pp return then I would consider it. What really annoys me though is that the airport in Galway is a shed at best, and the amount you hear in the local papers about routes opening up and even the increased level of air traffic is visible over the city, yet economically it's still unfeasable.

It's a waste of bloody time (literally).

serfboard · 24-04-2008 3:43pm

ve wrote: »

I really thought that flying was something done on a daily basis by many commuters.

When I was flying the only person who I used to see who did it on a daily basis was Padraig O'Ceidigh - I believe he lives near the airport in Galway, he works near the airport in Dublin, and he is the boss of the airline

We should be able to do Galway-Dublin in just over an hour on the train. After all, the distance is only 220km, and I would hope that the new trains can do 200kph. Unfortunately, the biggest problem is that it's still only a single bloody track from Portarlington to Galway, and so you have to wait in stations and in lay-bys for the opposite-direction trains for/from both Galway and Mayo/Roscommon to pass.

I suppose I'd be living in la-la land altogether to hope that the line would ever be double-tracked ... :rolleyes:

trellheim · 24-04-2008 3:57pm

hope that the line would ever be double-tracked

re-double tracked, rather.

loyatemu · 24-04-2008 4:27pm

serfboard wrote: »

We should be able to do Galway-Dublin in just over an hour on the train. After all, the distance is only 220km, and I would hope that the new trains can do 200kph.

I somehow doubt they can - theres some talk of going to 200km\h on the Cork line with new engines, can't see it happening on the Galway line.

OTK · 24-04-2008 4:47pm

serfboard wrote: »

We should be able to do Galway-Dublin in just over an hour on the train. After all, the distance is only 220km, and I would hope that the new trains can do 200kph. Unfortunately, the biggest problem is that it's still only a single bloody track from Portarlington to Galway, and so you have to wait in stations and in lay-bys for the opposite-direction trains for/from both Galway and Mayo/Roscommon to pass.

Your priorities are all wrong. Wisely the government has decided to fast-track the WRC and soon you'll be able to commute from Galway to Claremorris in under an hour and a half. That will change everything.

Ham'nd'egger · 24-04-2008 6:39pm

serfboard wrote: »

When I was flying the only person who I used to see who did it on a daily basis was Padraig O'Ceidigh - I believe he lives near the airport in Galway, he works near the airport in Dublin, and he is the boss of the airline

We should be able to do Galway-Dublin in just over an hour on the train. After all, the distance is only 220km, and I would hope that the new trains can do 200kph. Unfortunately, the biggest problem is that it's still only a single bloody track from Portarlington to Galway, and so you have to wait in stations and in lay-bys for the opposite-direction trains for/from both Galway and Mayo/Roscommon to pass.

I suppose I'd be living in la-la land altogether to hope that the line would ever be double-tracked ... :rolleyes:

Serf, at the risk of getting OT here but you are getting into mixing up top speeds, distance and times and not allowing for stops, technologies, track and track capacity.

If a train (Let's say a 201 as it's the dominant loco in Ireland) does it's top speed (102MPH=165KMH, I have it's driver and service manual to back it up) from Galway to Dublin (130 Miles=208KMH) non stop without allowing for curves, speed limits and the rest, the times would be circa 82 minutes. There will be places on any track whereby speed limits have to be imposed (Passing stations, certain bridges, level crossings, sharp curves and some junctions) along with braking distances and times to allow for braking (You are talking of 600+ tons of steel and over a mile to brake to stationary from speed. The single track does not make a huge difference in line times, at worst you cross three trains losing maybe 10 minutes tops en route, less in places. There needs to be a large volume of traffic on a line to justify same in terms of cost and times saved; the figure is more than one movement an hour each way.

As it is, train or road is knocking spots off of flying from here time wise.

serfboard · 25-04-2008 5:53pm

Hamndegger wrote: »

As it is, train or road is knocking spots off of flying from here time wise.

Agreed - but is the 2010 completion of the N/M6 not going to increase the attractiveness of driving versus taking the train, when we should really be going in the opposite direction?

Or is the price of petrol by that stage going to be so prohibitive that we won't be able to afford it?

And god knows how much flying will cost by then ...

ga2re2t · 26-04-2008 11:22am

serfboard wrote: »

I suppose I'd be living in la-la land altogether to hope that the line would ever be double-tracked ... :rolleyes:

I believe there are talks of double-tracking the Athenry-Galway sectionin the near future (< 10 years?). This will tie in with the improvements to Galway's Ceannt station (where the two platforms will be accessible), the extra services created by the WRC (Limerick-Galway for example) and the development of a Galway commuter service. It's mainly all talk though for the moment.

Although it's not in Transport 21, there is also quite a lot of justification for re-opening the Mullingar-Athlone line and this may also be a possibility within the next 10 years. That will create an alternative Dublin-Galway route.

I also think that Dublin-Galway should be do-able in about an hour and a half, but it seems like it'll be a long while yet before that happens (> 20 years maybe). If IE, along with the government, ever decide to push for electrification of the lines then it might become very feasible indeed. However, there are more pressing issues at hand (Interconnector, Dublin rail electrification, Navan rail, Kildare project, etc.)

Ham'nd'egger · 26-04-2008 1:01pm

ga2re2t wrote: »

I believe there are talks of double-tracking the Athenry-Galway sectionin the near future (< 10 years?). This will tie in with the improvements to Galway's Ceannt station (where the two platforms will be accessible), the extra services created by the WRC (Limerick-Galway for example) and the development of a Galway commuter service. It's mainly all talk though for the moment.

Although it's not in Transport 21, there is also quite a lot of justification for re-opening the Mullingar-Athlone line and this may also be a possibility within the next 10 years. That will create an alternative Dublin-Galway route.

I also think that Dublin-Galway should be do-able in about an hour and a half, but it seems like it'll be a long while yet before that happens (> 20 years maybe). If IE, along with the government, ever decide to push for electrification of the lines then it might become very feasible indeed. However, there are more pressing issues at hand (Interconnector, Dublin rail electrification, Navan rail, Kildare project, etc.)

Athlone-Mullingar won't be reopened anytime in the long term as there is neither the track capacity nor any genuine benefit in doing so; Moate's reopening would be the sole positive aspect to it. The line actually would have closed in the 1970's were it not for the Post train running through on it for so long (An Post had a depot in Sheriff Street adjacent to Connolly, handy for handling mail quickly). If it was to reopen, trains would go to an already overcrowded Connolly; there isn't any reason why Galway needs another route eastbound given it's good services into Dublin. The Kildare expansion shows one where the priority for western services and genuine benefits are to be made; in time and capacity not additional routes. Athenry into Galway will get double tracks in due course, it's a case of when not if.

ga2re2t · 26-04-2008 5:08pm

Hamndegger wrote: »

Athlone-Mullingar won't be reopened anytime in the long term as there is neither the track capacity nor any genuine benefit in doing so; Moate's reopening would be the sole positive aspect to it.

Ahem, maybe, but then again maybe not.
I know it's off topic but...
Athlone Mullingar would allow for the following:
1. Athlone Mullingar: linking of two of the three towns in the Midland Gateway (the other is Tullamore)
2. Linking Mullingar and Galway
3. For an alternative Dublin service, there is no need for trains to do Connolly-Galway via Mullingar. A train service from Galway to Mullingar is sufficient. Passengers can change to the Sligo train at Mullingar.
4. Limerick to Mullingar
5. Limerick to Sligo (if Phase 3 of WRC gets scrapped), though it would be very long.
6. Galway to Sligo (if Phase 3 of WRC gets scrapped), though it would be very long.

Galway-Dublin - By Air

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