Train Fare Fine

fh041205

PRND wrote: »

One of the differences I can see is that the services in London are run for the good of the people using them. In Ireland it is run for the benefit of the people running them. Why not have late trains? Why not have integrated ticketing? Why not attempt to timetable trains realistically instead of to meet some 95% punctuality marketing nonsense which nobody believes?

I don't see why you think we shouldn't compare systems as the Irish system has been underfunded. When I was in Vienna recently I didn't care how it was funded. Only that the trains were punctual, regular, well connected and good value.

Perhaps you don't use the train services in the Dublin area regularly but let me tell you, they are fairly awful and most regular commuters could probably give at least one workable idea to improve things and there have nothing to do with historic underfunding.

Funny enough, I actually do commute to dublin every weekday from drogheda. So I know all too well the problems that exist on this route. I'm not saying IR is perfect (far from it) but its unrealistic to expect the service to be comparable to cities that are more than 10 times bigger. They have more money to invest and have had a longer time to invest it. Its just a fact of life, they're richer than us!!!

The reasons for no late trains is simple: drivers, and rolling stock (god knows we've heard that excuse before). Drivers have trouble enough with the current timetable without introducing late night trains. I agree it would be a godsend especially for someone like me, but its just not viable and I can completely see why. And if i'm not very much mistaken I think integrated ticketing is something that is on the table at the moment, although its probably a while off yet.

I think it can be said for most modern developments in dublin, that up to 20 years ago, they would have been impossible. But since then times have changed and we are now in a position to invest in these projects. Suggestions are great but people have to be realistic, its not going to happen in the space of a few years.

One point though, IR are dreadful with announcements etc. and I make no excuses for that. Thats one thing that i agree is not acceptable and no amount of investment is going to change.

EDIT: can't help noticing that this thread has gone way off topic (mostly due to me), apologies.

KC61

jaffa20 wrote: »

micmclo wrote: »

If it's only one stop then it's probably walkable. Probably not a massive time difference.

Walkable from Connolly to Clontarf :O it would take 30 minutes or more and i already have to walk from Stephen's green to the dart station.

I'd have to ask the same question as Victor.

You're walking from St. Stephen's Green to Connolly to get a DART to Clontarf Road when you can either:

a) Get either a 128 bus from the first stop on Dawson Street to the bottom of the Malahide Road (every 10-15 minutes)
or
b) Get the DART from Pearse or Tara Street for the same price as from Connolly (all three are denoted City Centre) - a shorter walk!

There are also far more buses operating from Eden Quay or outside Connolly as well which have a bus lane in each direction:

20b/27/27b/29a/31/31b/32/32a/32b/42/42a/42b/43/128/130 to name but a few....

_feedback_

KC61 wrote: »

jaffa20 wrote: »

I'd have to ask the same question as Victor.

You're walking from St. Stephen's Green to Connolly to get a DART to Clontarf Road when you can either:

a) Get either a 128 bus from the first stop on Dawson Street to the bottom of the Malahide Road (every 10-15 minutes)
or
b) Get the DART from Pearse or Tara Street for the same price as from Connolly (all three are denoted City Centre) - a shorter walk!

There are also far more buses operating from Eden Quay or outside Connolly as well which have a bus lane in each direction:

20b/27/27b/29a/31/31b/32/32a/32b/42/42a/42b/43/128/130 to name but a few....

All V true ... I'm unsure if the person that mentioned the conolly to clontarf route is the one that the OP had taken. But if that is the case, Clontarf Rd station, is VERY regularly checked so it was a silly move leaving the ticket on the train.

fh041205

elviscostello wrote: »

KC61 wrote: »

All V true ... I'm unsure if the person that mentioned the conolly to clontarf route is the one that the OP had taken. But if that is the case, Clontarf Rd station, is VERY regularly checked so it was a silly move leaving the ticket on the train.

Actually I went up to dublin from drogheda recently and out to killester. I had my ticket properly inspected 3 times on board the trains during my journey. Maybe they're cracking down because I rarely ever get my ticket checked at all never mind 3 times in the one day...

Run_to_da_hills

fh041205 wrote: »

elviscostello wrote: »

Actually I went up to dublin from drogheda recently and out to killester. I had my ticket properly inspected 3 times on board the trains during my journey. Maybe they're cracking down because I rarely ever get my ticket checked at all never mind 3 times in the one day...

I think Iarnrod Eireann work just like the cops. They get together and decide to make a blitz on fare dodgers, The clamp down may last a week and then it slackens off for a while.

It was the same going to school back in the 70ies. We had nick names for some of the ticket inspectors, one short guy with a moustache was called Stalin, (All the schools knew this guy) he wouldn't let anyone away with anything, in those days you were just booted off the train with your address taken and had to wait up to 1/2 an hour for the next one.

MOH

fh041205 wrote: »

You can't compare a city of 12 million people with dublin. The rail system in london is fantastic and has been for some time. Its a million miles ahead of dublin in terms of development and investment. Look up how much money has been invested in rail transport in London over the last 50 years and compare it with Dublin. Its no surprise that they are lightyears ahead of us.

It's not just the actual runnin gof the trains. The whole Irish Rail attitude towards their customers is a joke.

Calina

jaffa20 wrote: »

Exactly and you can get a metro ticket to last you the day all over paris for the price of my one return ticket from Connolly to Clontarf:mad:

You claimed that return was 2.60E.

According to the RATP, a zone 1+2 in Paris day ticket is 5.60. A zone 1-6 is 15.60.

The ticket concerned is Mobilis. A visitor ticket for the day is marginally more expensive.

According to my maths, 2.60E is less than 5.60E which covers central Paris, and it's a lot less than 15.60 which covers "all over Paris".

I will freely admit that the public transport system in Paris is considerably better than the public transport system in Dublin but the key differences relate to investment and an understanding of what constitutes the common good. However, claims like the above do nothing to improve things.