Prebooking 1st class seats on Irish Rail

Our man in Havana

I have a few questions about pre booking 1st class tickets on Irish Rail. If I pre book a seat, am I guaranteed that seat on the train? Is it likely I will find someone sitting in it when I get on at my station, for example Thurles? Dublin-Cork line. Is First Class policed properly?

Is there any compensation if your seat is gone and you are forced out of first class to the back of the train?

L1011

I only have experience of the Enterprise, and it is very well policed here - a card is put above the seat with your name and joining station; and its a bye-law breaching offence to remove it if its not your seat (€500 fine I think) and the staff will move anyone who sits there.

On Cork, I've no idea...

DubLegs

Ur definitely guarnteed ur seat (only going on the normal carriages!). They put ur name on the thing above the seat - and have ppl to help you on the platform.

Though i only know from getting on in Dublin or Cork! sorry if thats not much help. :rolleyes:

BanzaiBk

First class might not be an issue but generally people totally disregard the booked seats from my experience. The name of the booker is displayed over the seat on a LED kinda screen but people either don't see it or ignore it. I often witness people fight over the seats (i.e. I was here first blahblahblah). I use the Dublin Cork line weekly and have used first class on two occassions. Nowadays though I just save my money and sit in the normal carriages.

notjim

Booking a seat Galway-Dublin is a disaster, in my experience, even if it is first class: there is no name above the seat and so you have to fight it out with whoever got there first and the attendant doesn't appear until after the train has left.

BanzaiBk

notjim wrote: »

Booking a seat Galway-Dublin is a disaster, in my experience, even if it is first class: there is no name above the seat and so you have to fight it out with whoever got there first and the attendant doesn't appear until after the train has left.

Yeah forgot about that, sometimes you book the seat online or whatever but the name isn't displayed over the seat.

MOH

LAst time I booked two seats (Dublin - Manulla) there were people in them when I got on. Not surprising, since their was nothing to indicate they were booked. Asked them to move, which they did to the seats opposite (didn't take those myself in case it turned out someone else had booked them and the train filled up).

When the ticket inspector came around I pointed out that the seats should have been reserved he just lied and said seats couldn't be reserved on that line, only of Dublin - Cork.

When I complained, IE just assured me that you can resreve seats, and igonred the fact that the ticket inspector had lied.

For first class, if you've booked a first class seat and you don't get it, and can't get another first class seat, you're entitled to a full refund of the single fare.

corktina

isnt it about time there was airline style book in? you NEVER get these porblems on an airplane do you!