Problem with Irish Rail today

flas

As the thread title says I had a problem on an irish rail train today. want to know where I stand or what to do from here if anyone has any previous experience with a situation like this.

ok, so i was on the train today, i had a monthly return ticket, you can use it once up and down on a journey, i know this. i went through the barrier in connolly station with my ticket as i had not used it before, i had bought the ticket last week when i had money to buy it as i was moving house at the weekend and knew i would be broke after moving, so when i had the money spare last week i bought a monthly return. when on train today the inspector comes around, I give him my ticket, he goes thats not valid, so i explain that i had not used the ticket, i had bought it last week when i had the money and knew i would be off this week so would use it then. he says to me again that its not a valid ticket, i have to use it on the dates on it, the two dates on the ticket were the 19th of september to 18th of october, i questioned him on this, as in what he was saying was i had to travel on the 19th and then the 19th, he said no but it was not valid, i questioned him on how in the name of God did i get through the barrier if the ticket was not valid, he goes he doesnt know, he then proceeds to say he is going to fine me 100euro for not having a valid ticket, at this stage he takes my ticket, which i was going to use tomorrow for going back to dublin for work but will now have to fork out another 30 something euro for another ticket, and says it is his property.

I explained that i need the ticket to travel tomorrow, he just says tough, he got really flustered, as was I, seeing as I had paid for the ticket and had to sit on the ground of one of the inter-city trains as there was no seats and the train only had 3 carraiges(i did not think it was safe to have passangers standing on the inter-city trains as there is no hand rails to hold onto and people are just sitting in the doorways and in fornt of the toilets?).

i have been looking at the ticket he issued me with the fine on it and no where on it does it say how much the fine is, there is two boxs with an option for 50euro and 100euro but niether are ticked and on the line where it says fine amount nothing is filled in either. he also has my name spelled incorrectly, I gave him my address and my phone number, which he proceeded to call on the train to make sure it was valid.

he repeated over and over again that it doesnt matter if i have not used the ticket before, its not valid, when i asked him to point out to me in the terms and conditions of the ticket where it says i absolutely have to use the ticket on the dates printed on the ticket he could not, and when i asked him if the ticket is valid for any of the dates in between these dates, he kept saying no, then yes, then no again, and then walked off.

I just want to know where i appeal this too, if I have a grounds for appeal and what exactly the situation will involve if i do appeal and would nyone know the likely outcome? I have been using Irisih rail nearly every week for the last 6 years, and having seen all sorts of stuff passing on trains i have never travelled without tickets or anythign of the such.
any info would be greatly appriciated, thanks

PseudoFamous

I'm nearly certain that the ticket is only valid for the first leg of the journey on the day of purchase. It says "valid out on *date*" or some derivative on the ticket, so the ticket inspector was actually right.

But it's a ridiculous rule, tbh.. You see all manner of scrounges and scumbags getting away with having no ticket whatsoever, and IR happily fine people who made an honest mistake. IR are making themselves out to be a massive pack of gougers, really.

foggy_lad

You must use the ticket for the first part of your journey on the date it was purchased. The inspector was correct as your ticket was only valid for the return section of your journey and you were travelling in the opposite direction.

KD345

From the Irish Rail website:

Monthly Return: Valid for the one outward journey for the date shown on the ticket. Valid for one return journey within one month of date shown on ticket.

http://www.irishrail.ie/your_ticket/ticket_types.asp

flas

that seems a bit of a silly rule, i was in the wrong so, wonder how much the fine is seeing as he did not put it onto the ticket he gave me where he was ment to? technicality maybe!? just not happy with having to give irish rail the price of four fares and actually only getting two and having to sit on the ground for two hours! thanks for all the answers, appriciated...

AlekSmart

flas wrote: »

That seems a bit of a silly rule

Sadly flas,that's a problem with the entire concept of rules in themselves.....somebody will always find them silly,unfair,discriminatory etc etc.....except,of course,those who find them reassuring,fair or desirable.....Ye pays yer money and ye takes yer pick

Victor

A few questions:

What were the 'to' and 'from' stations on the ticket?

Where did you buy the ticket?

It was a month return?

The ticket was valid for outward travel on the 19th September and return on or before 18th October?

---

Note that you can buy tickets in advance and for station pairs other than the station you are in, e.g. if you want to travel on Friday from Heuston to Cork, you can buy the ticket, say, Wednesday in Raheny, so that you can avoid the queues on the Friday. However, you must state the day you want to make hte first leg of the trip. If you are travelling between anything but main stations, it may be useful to have the station number (printed on tickets) ready for the clerk.

Your ticket does not guarantee you a seat, it only guarantees travel. If you want to reserve a seat on an intercity service, the best way to do it is on the internet, which may be cheaper, especially if buying in advance. In such cases, failure to provide the seat means you get a refund. Internet reservations do not work with every station or journey.

Tickets ramin the property of Irsih Rail. however, he should have issued you with some form of receipt for it.

It would seem your ticket had the following validity (subject to each return ticket being valid for travel in each direction only once.):

19 September - outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
20 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
21 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
22 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
23 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
24 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
25 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
26 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
27 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
28 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
29 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
30 September - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
1 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
2 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
3 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
4 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
5 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
6 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
7 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
8 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
9 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
10 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
11 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
12 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
13 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
14 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
15 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
16 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
17 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted
18 October - no outward trip permitted - return trip permitted

Losty Dublin

One of these days I'm half expecting a thread on here to the effect of "I got fined on the train with a valid ticket for the Luas/Ryanair/Gaiety Panto; can I appeal?"

flas

to be fair no need for the smart comments, i had a ticket, had not used it and thought it was valid seeing as i had not used it, it was obviously a mistake... il wait and see if they send out anything to the house, seeing as they left details off the fine, such as how much it was, it has the details of where to send money but not how much, and im sure as hell not sending irish rail of all companies a blank cheque, my money would probably be used to buy lunch for one of the directors in there or something...it was on the sligo line by the way to the poster who asked...