Parking charges up at most train stations

mathie

Hi

As and from yesterday the charges at the Portmarnock Dart station went up 50% from two euro to three euro.
Any justification for this?
Especially when it's free at the next station (Clongriffin)

Cheers
M

Davy

All stations went up. It was announced on budget day by IR

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=1256

n97 mini

Parkbytext is €2*

* There are other unavoidable charges for using Parkbytext

tubbs26

Park by Text is free if you log your paqrking times online

robd

mathie wrote: »

Hi

As and from yesterday the charges at the Portmarnock Dart station went up 50% from two euro to three euro.
Any justification for this?
Especially when it's free at the next station (Clongriffin)

Cheers
M

The justification is that Irish Rail don't have to get permission to up charges for ancillary services such as this unlike ticket charges.

They're losing money hand over fist due to extremely high wage structures and a serious drop in passenger numbers as a result of the recession and the motorway network being completed. They need the money from somewhere and they sure as hell ain't going to get it from reducing staff numbers and pay.

Oh. Ticket prices have gone up to from Jan 1st.

Happy Christmas !!!

mathie

tubbs26 wrote: »

Park by Text is free if you log your paqrking times online

Is that true?

L1011

tubbs26 wrote: »

Park by Text is free if you log your paqrking times online

There is still an "account management fee" is there not?

tubbs26

Sorry your right 50cent a month as far as I know, but you can avoid all the text charges

n97 mini

MYOB wrote: »

There is still an "account management fee" is there not?

There is, the cheeky buggers.

Hilly Bill

robd wrote: »

The justification is that Irish Rail don't have to get permission to up charges for ancillary services such as this unlike ticket charges.

They're losing money hand over fist due to extremely high wage structures and a serious drop in passenger numbers as a result of the recession and the motorway network being completed. They need the money from somewhere and they sure as hell ain't going to get it from reducing staff numbers and pay.

Oh. Ticket prices have gone up to from Jan 1st.

Happy Christmas !!!

What do you know about staff wages to make that claim? Parking gone up a euro, whats the big deal?

n97 mini

Hilly Bill wrote: »

What do you know about staff wages to make that claim? Parking gone up a euro, whats the big deal?

A 50% jack is a lot in anyone's books.

n97 mini

Hilly Bill wrote: »

What do you know about staff wages to make that claim?

Generally in Ireland it's safe to say someone we're all overpaid (part of the reason we're in the mess we're in). However it's not that difficult to figure out if there is truth to this particular claim.

A quick google shows in 2008 the average train driver salary was €52,000. There are around 33 train companies in the UK. One company pays more than IE, Eurostar at €54000, the other 32 companies pay less (some as little as around €34000).

Anyone know an NIR driver's salary?

Hilly Bill

n97 mini wrote: »

A 50% jack is a lot in anyone's books.

Its a euro and its still cheap, if it went up by 20c then the moaning would be the same by the usual suspects

Hilly Bill

n97 mini wrote: »

Generally in Ireland it's safe to say someone we're all overpaid (part of the reason we're in the mess we're in). However it's not that difficult to figure out if there is truth to this particular claim.

A quick google shows in 2008 the average train driver salary was €52,000. There are around 33 train companies in the UK. One company pays more than IE, Eurostar at €54000, the other 32 companies pay less (some as little as around €34000).

Anyone know an NIR driver's salary?

Sometimes i get the feeling that some people wont be happy until everyone else is either getting paid less than them or the same. Begrudgery is rife be the looks of it. What price do you put on the responsibility of lives every time you go to work?

PseudoFamous

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Sometimes i get the feeling that some people wont be happy until everyone else is either getting paid less than them or the same. Begrudgery is rife be the looks of it. What price do you put on the responsibility of lives every time you go to work?

Driving a train isn't exactly the most skilled job in the world. I would go so far as to even call it an easy job. A nurse gets paid about 54K/annum, and I think we can all agree that that is a job requiring a far higher skillset and stress tolerance.

L1011

PseudoFamous wrote: »

Driving a train isn't exactly the most skilled job in the world. I would go so far as to even call it an easy job. A nurse gets paid about 54K/annum, and I think we can all agree that that is a job requiring a far higher skillset and stress tolerance.

Nurses get paid a lot less than 54k p.a. in a HSE hospital:
http://www.hse.ie/eng/staff/Benefits_Services/pay/salary_scales_new_entrant2011.pdf

I know of some practice nurses in GP surgeries or clinical nurse specialists on 50-60k but not the majority by any means.

Vanbis

PseudoFamous wrote: »

Driving a train isn't exactly the most skilled job in the world. I would go so far as to even call it an easy job. A nurse gets paid about 54K/annum, and I think we can all agree that that is a job requiring a far higher skillset and stress tolerance.

Unless you've ever driven a train then you have absolutley no idea wheather it's easy or not, what's involved etc. I've a friend who is a train driver so i have a good idea what is involved and the training givne and it's not as easy as you or others may think.

Hilly Bill

PseudoFamous wrote: »

Driving a train isn't exactly the most skilled job in the world. I would go so far as to even call it an easy job. A nurse gets paid about 54K/annum, and I think we can all agree that that is a job requiring a far higher skillset and stress tolerance.

I take it you dont know much about the job then. Nurses deserves every bit they get and more.

kingshankly

n97 mini wrote: »

Generally in Ireland it's safe to say someone we're all overpaid (part of the reason we're in the mess we're in). However it's not that difficult to figure out if there is truth to this particular claim.

A quick google shows in 2008 the average train driver salary was €52,000. There are around 33 train companies in the UK. One company pays more than IE, Eurostar at €54000, the other 32 companies pay less (some as little as around €34000).

Anyone know an NIR driver's salary?

why don't you give the whole truth you realize most British train drivers are on a 35 hour week while irish rail drivers are on 48 hour contracts
the average salary in the uk is approx £40k which when worked out at 48 hours is £54800 converted to euro (1.19 today rate) is €65200

mathie

Hilly Bill wrote: »

What do you know about staff wages to make that claim? Parking gone up a euro, whats the big deal?

Will you pay it for me so?
I park there daily.
20 euro extra a month.
240 euro extra a year.

Can I expect a cheque in the post?

n97 mini

kingshankly wrote: »

why don't you give the whole truth you realize most British train drivers are on a 35 hour week while irish rail drivers are on 48 hour contracts

The question was simply about pay. A UK train driver never works 48 hours so always takes home the figures I quoted.

BTW, while I generalised that as a country we're overpaid, I never said IE drivers or anyone else was overpaid. I merely provided some figures. Unlike pretty much everyone else.

n97 mini

Anyone know the salary/hours in NIR?

schemingbohemia

mathie wrote: »

Will you pay it for me so?
I park there daily.
20 euro extra a month.
240 euro extra a year.

Can I expect a cheque in the post?

Why don't you sign up for parkbytext? An extra
50c a month
€6 a year
or 1.5c a day?

schemingbohemia

n97 mini wrote: »

Anyone know the salary/hours in NIR?

I thought this thread was about the cost of parking going up.

skD13

Clongriffin is free and has been for over a year. It’s free because the developer owns the car park and wants to get business into the place as only a few of the shop units are occupied. Considering Superquinn pulled to plug on the anchor tenancy earlier in the year, it is likely that car park will be free for the foreseeable future. Some of you that use neighbouring stations may find Clongriffin a suitable alternative, particularly if you are using Portmarnock as they are very close.

Out of Portmarnock station take a left, then left again at the end of the road onto Druminagh Rd., then right at the T-Junction onto Mayne Rd., then 1st left onto Hole in the Wall Road, then first left into Clongriffin. About a 3min drive.

Losty Dublin

PseudoFamous wrote: »

Driving a train isn't exactly the most skilled job in the world. I would go so far as to even call it an easy job. A nurse gets paid about 54K/annum, and I think we can all agree that that is a job requiring a far higher skillset and stress tolerance.

There is a Dart driver who has to date had 8 people commit suicide on trains that he was driving. Maybe you should talk to him about stress tolerance or perhaps the raillcar driver in Ballina who has dealt with 2 deaths inside about a year or the time my Dad took a beet train over the Barrow bridge and saw a man hop off into the river or the guy who was highjacked and kidnapped on a Dundalk liner some years ago and has retired due to his nerves.

As an aside into the training, a drivers approx years of training is a full time 9-5 course so it ends up taking up as many hours as many 2-3 year full time college courses. Some of the older drivers training took 80 weeks full time, equivilent to about 3-4 years of course time in college and would have the same mechanical/electrical skills as an 2nd year apprentice. Not to diss any course but in fairness the drivers put their time in when training.

mathie

tubbs26 wrote: »

Park by Text is free if you log your paqrking times online

I signed up for parkbytext but still can't find how to log my parking hours online to get free parking.

Anyone care to enlighten me?
thanks

n97 mini

schemingbohemia wrote: »

I thought this thread was about the cost of parking going up.

It's not. Read the OP again. The OP asked only one question: what's the justification.

L1011

mathie wrote: »

I signed up for parkbytext but still can't find how to log my parking hours online to get free parking.

Anyone care to enlighten me?
thanks

Its not free parking. Its free-of-texting-fees. You still pay 2 quid a day or the weekly/monthly fees and a 50c/month fee.

kingshankly

MYOB wrote: »

Its not free parking. Its free-of-texting-fees. You still pay 2 quid a day or the weekly/monthly fees and a 50c/month fee.

which would mean parking has gone up 6 a year which wouldn't get ya 2 hours in some car parks

L1011

kingshankly wrote: »

which would mean parking has gone up 6 a year which wouldn't get ya 2 hours in some car parks

Gone up 6 a year if you sign up to a service and remember to pre book times, every time.

Its gone up significantly for adhoc users. Euro a day doesn't sound much but its 50%, after the pay parking only being fairly recent at that.

kingshankly

MYOB wrote: »

Gone up 6 a year if you sign up to a service and remember to pre book times, every time.

Its gone up significantly for adhoc users. Euro a day doesn't sound much but its 50%, after the pay parking only being fairly recent at that.

I agree a euro a day is very steep but most commuters I'm sure will pay by text , this rise will hit the day trippers who probably don't mind paying 3 euro a day

mickydoomsux

kingshankly wrote: »

I agree a euro a day is very steep but most commuters I'm sure will pay by text , this rise will hit the day trippers who probably don't mind paying 3 euro a day

Once again, as i've said before, i don't think customers (the problem in our station was people working in the city for the day parking in the station and walking downtown because it was one of two free car parks in the whole place) should have to pay for parking in our stations but they'd be hard pressed to get 24hrs parking for €3 anywhere.

n97 mini

mickydoomsux wrote: »

they'd be hard pressed to get 24hrs parking for €3 anywhere.

There are loads of free car parks around the country. I would imagine the cast vast majority. Aren't the majority of Irish Rail ones free?

L1011

kingshankly wrote: »

this rise will hit the day trippers who probably don't mind paying 3 euro a day

3 euro a day + about 6 quid return = I'll drive in to the city, thanks.

mickydoomsux

n97 mini wrote: »

There are loads of free car parks around the country.

Not in cities there isn't. Have you parked in a city recently?

n97 mini

mickydoomsux wrote: »

Not in cities there isn't. Have you parked in a city recently?

Why did you say they'd be hard pressed to get 24hrs parking for €3 anywhere if you didn't mean it?

kingshankly

MYOB wrote: »

3 euro a day + about 6 quid return = I'll drive in to the city, thanks.

and park where

L1011

kingshankly wrote: »

and park where

Anywhere I want for a number of hours.

Hilly Bill

mathie wrote: »

Will you pay it for me so?
I park there daily.
20 euro extra a month.
240 euro extra a year.

Can I expect a cheque in the post?

No, silly question. Why mention the larger figure? Its an extra euro a day thats all, its still cheaper than the city centre car parks. Park in Clongriffin if its an issue.

L1011

Hilly Bill wrote: »

No, silly question. Why mention the larger figure? Its an extra euro a day thats all, its still cheaper than the city centre car parks. Park in Clongriffin if its an issue.

Because the larger figure is what it adds up to?

Hilly Bill

Why not add it up to the cost over 5 years while you are at it as that figure would be more effective.

schemingbohemia

MYOB wrote: »

Gone up 6 a year if you sign up to a service and remember to pre book times, every time.

Its gone up significantly for adhoc users. Euro a day doesn't sound much but its 50%, after the pay parking only being fairly recent at that.

Sorry but where are you getting the pre-booking from? If you are signed up to parkbytext when you arrive at the car park you send a text with the designated station on it and choose where you want daily or weekly parking. You don't need to pre-book it.


http://www.parkbytext.ie/help.html

LXFlyer

PseudoFamous wrote: »

Driving a train isn't exactly the most skilled job in the world. I would go so far as to even call it an easy job. A nurse gets paid about 54K/annum, and I think we can all agree that that is a job requiring a far higher skillset and stress tolerance.

OK so then knowing when you are in pitch black darkness exactly where the braking locations are to stop a full train travelling at 90mph plus safely at a platform (or a signal that is not in view) is easy?

Come off it.

SandyfordGuy

For what it's worth I think the criticism of train drivers on this thread is over the top. Sure I think they are overpaid still. But saying it an easy job is ridiculous.

Also one year is a valid term to compare charges over, as generally lots of things are worked out over a year relating to finance, be that insurance, salary etc, so it's sensible to look at the yearly charge. Five years though is ridiculous.

L1011

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Sorry but where are you getting the pre-booking from? If you are signed up to parkbytext when you arrive at the car park you send a text with the designated station on it and choose where you want daily or weekly parking. You don't need to pre-book it.


http://www.parkbytext.ie/help.html

If you don't book your parking online you pay further, mobile network fees. I'm "getting" that from the website of the service that you clearly didn't actually read before referencing it.

L1011

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Why not add it up to the cost over 5 years while you are at it as that figure would be more effective.

Wouldn't change the p.a. amount.

penexpers

SandyfordGuy wrote: »

For what it's worth I think the criticism of train drivers on this thread is over the top. Sure I think they are overpaid still. But saying it an easy job is ridiculous.

€48k for a 48 hour week with some unsocialable hours is not overpaid, IMO.

penexpers

MYOB wrote: »

If you don't book your parking online you pay further, mobile network fees. I'm "getting" that from the website of the service that you clearly didn't actually read before referencing it.

Oh wow. An extra 10c. Or 1/30th of an hour's parking in the city centre.

L1011

penexpers wrote: »

Oh wow. An extra 10c. Or 1/30th of an hour's parking in the city centre.

Except its not parking in the city centre, its parking well outside it for which you then have to pay for a train to get in. Every cent they add is another person who'll decide its either cheaper to drive in or not worth the hassle for the ever dwindling savings.

schemingbohemia

MYOB wrote: »

Except its not parking in the city centre, its parking well outside it for which you then have to pay for a train to get in. Every cent they add is another person who'll decide its either cheaper to drive in or not worth the hassle for the ever dwindling savings.

If they can't afford the extra 10c for the text how are they filling up the tank of petrol to drive them to the car park or anywhere else for that matter?