Quick question about booking on Irish Rail

SimonMaher

Hello all

Really quick question, and mods feel free to delete after I get an answer!

Trying to book train tickets for Dublin to Cork next Friday with a return a few days later. Stupid question I know, but how do I tell which seats are facing forwards? On the graphic, it has the seats and the carriage in the same position regardless of whether you are going Dublin-Cork or Cork-Dublin!

Do I just presume that i book the opposite seats for the journey back?

Thanks in advance,
Simon

NewDubliner

It may not make any difference, whatever about Cork, certainly on the Westport line, seat allocation is a farce.

noelfirl

From my experience, going down to Cork, pick your seat based on the locomotive being on the left side, i.e. if you want to face forward/the Cork direction, then pick seats facing the locomotive (<==). Coming up, do the reverse the reason being that on IE's webpage, the locomotive will still show up as being on the left, but the train is driven as if it was on the right (at the DVT end), so for coming up from Cork, pick your seat as if you were seated with your back to the loco.

It's happened to me twice where I've booked both ways facing the loco picture, but ended up being seated backwards on the return journey. Ah, the joys of Irish Rail. Has to be said though, both times for the Cork Mk4 trains the seat reservations work fine and you get a little electronic display with your name above the seat.

KC61

Simon Maher wrote: »

Hello all

Really quick question, and mods feel free to delete after I get an answer!

Trying to book train tickets for Dublin to Cork next Friday with a return a few days later. Stupid question I know, but how do I tell which seats are facing forwards? On the graphic, it has the seats and the carriage in the same position regardless of whether you are going Dublin-Cork or Cork-Dublin!

Do I just presume that i book the opposite seats for the journey back?

Thanks in advance,
Simon

Forward facing seats:
Facing left going to Cork; Facing Right coming from Cork

Beware of major service alterations on the Cork route next weekend due to engineering works - details are on www.irishrail.ie

SimonMaher

Much appreciated all, thank you kindly. Tickets booked, all good.

Thanks again,
Simon

spurious

A should be the front carriage, but sometimes they do not change this and the train leaves with A as the rear carriage.