Irish Rail pricing glitches

Victor

Rail Users Ireland have done a report on oddities in Irish rail's pricing structures.

http://www.railusers.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=4011

MrJoeSoap

One I noticed while in college was that it cost the same from Castleknock to Maynooth as it did from Clonsilla to Maynooth.

However, from Clonsilla to Drumcondra was more expensive than Castleknock was different, though the difference in distance was essentialy the same.

1huge1

Well here's one I've noticed, Limerick junction to Heuson costs more than Tipperary Town station to Heuston (even though the tipp town station is about 2km away from the junction and stops at the junction where you change train to go to heuston), Its like 40% cheaper I believe,

Some sort of major incentive to use tipp town station maybe...

testicle

1huge1 wrote: »

Well here's one I've noticed, Limerick junction to Heuson costs more than Tipperary Town station to Heuston (even though the tipp town station is about 2km away from the junction and stops at the junction where you change train to go to heuston), Its like 40% cheaper I believe,

Some sort of major incentive to use tipp town station maybe...

Exactly

Nenagh to Dublin is much cheaper than Dublin to Nenagh.

Victor

1huge1 wrote: »

Well here's one I've noticed, Limerick junction to Heuson costs more than Tipperary Town station to Heuston (even though the tipp town station is about 2km away from the junction and stops at the junction where you change train to go to heuston), Its like 40% cheaper I believe, Some sort of major incentive to use tipp town station maybe...

An anomaly yes, but understandable - Tipperary has a lot fewer trains than Limerick Junction. this is largely consistant across the network.

testicle wrote: »

Nenagh to Dublin is much cheaper than Dublin to Nenagh.

Thats a promotional fare. The problem is that promotional fares aren't always advertised.

JayoCluxton

Not sure if the anomalous issues outlined below are ok to discuss on this thread - so sorry if not. Basically there are huge pricing disrepancies on the Northern line (especially between Balbriggan, Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda) as outlined in a press release by a pressure group which unfortunately did not manage to exert much pressure. The prices will have risen since this but the issues and anomalies remain the same.


QUOTE
Rail commuters are being ripped off by Irish Rail, a new rail commuters group has claimed. The group has revealed that rail fares can be almost three times more expensive, depending on where you travel from. A study of fares on the Northern Commuter line shows huge discrepancies between stations.

The commuter group analysed a range of fares from a number of stations on a cost per mile basis, and found that outside what Irish Rail describe as the “Outer Short Hop” zone which extends from Greystones to Balbriggan, commuters were often paying over double the cost per mile. For example, the cost of a single ticket from Laytown to Central Dublin – a distance of twenty seven miles – costs €10.50. Seven minutes down the line, the cost from Balbriggan – a distance of twenty two miles - is just €3.50. Whilst the Balbriggan ticket entitles commuters to travel all the way to Greystones, a Laytown-Greystones ticket costs €17.50 – five times more expensive!

Regular commuters using weekly, monthly and annual tickets suffer most. An annual ticket between Balbriggan and Greystones costs just €790, compared to €1,570 which only gets a Drogheda commuter to the city centre, a distance of thirty two miles.

“For instance, Laytown is just five miles or seven minutes further out than Balbriggan, yet East Meath commuters pay nearly double the Balbriggan rate for their annual ticket,” said a spokesman for the group, adding “ if the cost per mile from Balbriggan was applied to annual tickets from Laytown and Drogheda, commuters would be paying €400-€500 less per annum. It’s an unsustainable rip-off.”

At a time when Transport Minister, Martin Cullen is reviewing a price hike application from Irish Rail, the commuter group are calling for a reduction in rail fares north of Balbriggan. “For years, Irish Rail has sought – and received – annual rail fare increases. We are calling on Minister Cullen to defer any decision until he has the full facts. The culture of “rip-off” Ireland is alive and well on the Northern Commuter line, and its within the gift of the Minister and a Semi-State company to resolve it,” said the spokesman, adding “with an almost 50% increase in capacity on the line in recent years, Irish Rail have increased their income significantly without the need for a fare increase at this time. ENDS

Ham'nd'egger

JayoCluxton wrote: »

Not sure if the anomalous issues outlined below are ok to discuss on this thread - so sorry if not. Basically there are huge pricing disrepancies on the Northern line (especially between Balbriggan, Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda) as outlined in a press release by a pressure group which unfortunately did not manage to exert much pressure. The prices will have risen since this but the issues and anomalies remain the same.


QUOTE
Rail commuters are being ripped off by Irish Rail, a new rail commuters group has claimed. The group has revealed that rail fares can be almost three times more expensive, depending on where you travel from. A study of fares on the Northern Commuter line shows huge discrepancies between stations.

The commuter group analysed a range of fares from a number of stations on a cost per mile basis, and found that outside what Irish Rail describe as the “Outer Short Hop” zone which extends from Greystones to Balbriggan, commuters were often paying over double the cost per mile. For example, the cost of a single ticket from Laytown to Central Dublin – a distance of twenty seven miles – costs €10.50. Seven minutes down the line, the cost from Balbriggan – a distance of twenty two miles - is just €3.50. Whilst the Balbriggan ticket entitles commuters to travel all the way to Greystones, a Laytown-Greystones ticket costs €17.50 – five times more expensive!

Regular commuters using weekly, monthly and annual tickets suffer most. An annual ticket between Balbriggan and Greystones costs just €790, compared to €1,570 which only gets a Drogheda commuter to the city centre, a distance of thirty two miles.

“For instance, Laytown is just five miles or seven minutes further out than Balbriggan, yet East Meath commuters pay nearly double the Balbriggan rate for their annual ticket,” said a spokesman for the group, adding “ if the cost per mile from Balbriggan was applied to annual tickets from Laytown and Drogheda, commuters would be paying €400-€500 less per annum. It’s an unsustainable rip-off.”

At a time when Transport Minister, Martin Cullen is reviewing a price hike application from Irish Rail, the commuter group are calling for a reduction in rail fares north of Balbriggan. “For years, Irish Rail has sought – and received – annual rail fare increases. We are calling on Minister Cullen to defer any decision until he has the full facts. The culture of “rip-off” Ireland is alive and well on the Northern Commuter line, and its within the gift of the Minister and a Semi-State company to resolve it,” said the spokesman, adding “with an almost 50% increase in capacity on the line in recent years, Irish Rail have increased their income significantly without the need for a fare increase at this time. ENDS

On this specific issue, this was brought up at a recent Dail Committee meeting; you should find this useful and interesting.

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=TRJ20080213.xml&Node=H3#H3

PS, who issued that statement, may I ask? It clearly is a year back, for the record.

JayoCluxton

Hamndegger wrote: »

On this specific issue, this was brought up at a recent Dail Committee meeting; you should find this useful and interesting.

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=TRJ20080213.xml&Node=H3#H3

PS, who issued that statement, may I ask? It clearly is a year back, for the record.

Ta for that HnE. I think it may be nearer two years back, possibly Nov 05 - again link below may help. Think the group largely died due to different agendas or priorities from Dundalk/Drogheda/Laytown commuters.

http://www.droghedacity.com/localissues.html