Crazy rail fare prices

eaglej13

hi guys.
just recently i travelled from drogheda to castlebar on the train and i was completely shocked at the price. €83.00 return. this is suppose to be a public service. and from drogheda to dublin i had no choice but to stand. have travelled by car and it costs me about 40 euro in diesel and is quicker. really can,t believe it.

Cookie_Monster

what about insurance, cost of car, wear and tear, depreciation, tax, maintainence?

All these need to be included. Obviously if you already have a car then there's no point in getting the train, even (unless drinking). But if you don't have one the cost is pretty reasonable in comparison to renting one for example.

jimmycrackcorm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

what about insurance, cost of car, wear and tear, depreciation, tax, maintainence?

All these need to be included. Obviously if you already have a car then there's no point in getting the train, even (unless drinking). But if you don't have one the cost is pretty reasonable in comparison to renting one for example.

That doesn't take into account all the other benefits from car ownership. To put the argument in context try doing a comparison of the equivalent journey every day. Or why not do the comparison with a group of 5 people traveling the same journey.

Victor

Booking ahead on-line, you should be able to get it for about €40 return.

Driving means 7 hours of driving, which might be a bit much for most people.

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

That doesn't take into account all the other benefits from car ownership. To put the argument in context try doing a comparison of the equivalent journey every day. Or why not do the comparison with a group of 5 people traveling the same journey.

I suspect very few people travel from Drogheda to Castlebar on a daily basis and certainly they won't have 4 friends they want to share a car with for 7 hours.

munchkin_utd

eaglej13 wrote: »

hi guys.
just recently i travelled from drogheda to castlebar on the train and i was completely shocked at the price. €83.00 return. this is suppose to be a public service. and from drogheda to dublin i had no choice but to stand. have travelled by car and it costs me about 40 euro in diesel and is quicker. really can,t believe it.

so.
you turned up at the station and expected ryanair prices on an walk up fare?
Even ryanair dont do that themselves!

anyhow.
If you had planned ahead you would have got this for about the same as your diesel assuming you were to want to travel say next thursday.
An off peak Drogheda->Dublin is available for €13 single after 9am. So 26Euro for that leg.
From Dublin to Castlebar half the trains are available for a tenner each way. So another 20 euro for this leg.
Link bus is 1.50 each way

So all in all 49 euro to get to castlebar and back. Which isnt much out from your diesel costs and including M4 and M50 tolls the train is actually cheaper.

munchkin_utd

if you wanted to do it even cheaper, the express bus takes an hour to get to the IFSC via port tunnel and is 11 euro return. Luas then 1.50 each way to heuston.
So bus + luas + train to castlebar is 34 euro in total which is cheaper than your diesel and much cheaper than diesel + tolls if you want to avoid the cross country crap roads

bk

That is if you are lucky enough to get one of these mythical "cheaper" fares.

What percentage of fares on any train are reduced fares?

It seems very few to me, on Cork to Dublin I'd say less then 10%

So the reality is most people are paying the ridiculous full fare. And this is why routes like Cork-Dublin are losing so many passengers to the motorways.

The reduced fares are just a marketing ploy by IR.

Jehuty42

eaglej13 wrote: »

this is suppose to be a public service.

Ok, then pay more tax and it'll be cheaper. Or we'll take out huge loans every year and run all trains for free with a 100% subsidy.

bk wrote: »

So the reality is most people are paying the ridiculous full fare.

Or, they are using their OAP pass or a social welfare pass or a student discount or a taxsaver ticket from their employer.

bk wrote: »

The reduced fares are just a marketing ploy by IR.

Well duh, isn't that what all reduced fares are? Loss leaders?

Dodge

bk wrote: »

So the reality is most people are paying the ridiculous full fare. And this is why routes like Cork-Dublin are losing so many passengers to the motorways.

I think its more to do with speed. If you live anywhere outside Dublin City centre you can be on the m50/Naas Road in half the time it takes to get to Hueston. From newlands its really only 2 hours to Cork, and again you don't have to go near the awkwardly positioned train station.

For what its worth my sister in law travel by train to Cork most weekends, and hasn't paid full price once apparently. Down on Fridays, back on Monday morning

Gileadi

Dodge wrote: »

From newlands its really only 2 hours to Cork, and again you don't have to go near the awkwardly positioned train station.

Its akward because its based in the centre of a population cluster and not at the end of your estate? Come on now, really?

Jehuty42

Gileadi wrote: »

Its akward because its based in the centre of a population cluster and not at the end of your estate? Come on now, really?

If it were a transit hub with lots of city bus services leaving the station to get to other areas of Cork, that might be better. I'm totally unfamiliar with Cork, is that the case or not?

Dodge

Gileadi wrote: »

Its akward because its based in the centre of a population cluster and not at the end of your estate? Come on now, really?

I'm not saying it can be any other way, but there's no doubting that for most Dublin-Cork door-door journeys, car is by far the quickest mode of transport now.

BenShermin

Since IÉ brought out their "yield management" internet fares (in 2010?) I've never paid more than €30 for a return from Dublin to Cork. The fares certainly are not mythical, no way I'd pay €77 for a return st the booking office!!

BenShermin

Jehuty42 wrote: »

Gileadi wrote: »

Its akward because its based in the centre of a population cluster and not at the end of your estate? Come on now, really?

If it were a transit hub with lots of city bus services leaving the station to get to other areas of Cork, that might be better. I'm totally unfamiliar with Cork, is that the case or not?

Kent Station is in an awkward position alright, nowhere near a transport hub, but it's only a 10min walk from the central bus station and a 15min walk from Patrick's Street.

bk

BenShermin wrote: »

Since IÉ brought out their "yield management" internet fares (in 2010?) I've never paid more than €30 for a return from Dublin to Cork. The fares certainly are not mythical, no way I'd pay €77 for a return st the booking office!!

But you have to plan ahead 3 or 4 weeks to get it and you are missing the point. The majority of people are paying the full fare.

A couple of people like Dodges Sister in Law who make the exact same journey every week or who can plan far ahead might get a cheaper fare. But not the majority of people, after all that is how a yield management system works, only a certain percentage of people will ever get the lower fare and my argument is that the percentage is very low.

Dodge I agree it is a combination of speed and price. However the price one will become a big issue when a direct non stop bus service is launched Cork to Dublin. Such a coach service will be almost as quick or slightly slower then the train, but much cheaper.

Dodge

bk wrote: »

Dodge I agree it is a combination of speed and price. However the price one will become a big issue when a direct non stop bus service is launched Cork to Dublin. Such a coach service will be almost as quick or slightly slower then the train, but much cheaper.

Yep, even now I'd opt to travel by bus ahead of train. A faster service will only encourage more. (I should point out, i'm not a regular traveller on that route BTW)

BenShermin

I'm not missing any point, if the majority of passengers want to pay €77 for a return trip to Cork that's their problem. Personally if I have to make a last minute trip to Cork I'll be on Bus Éireann at a fraction of the train fare. Before the yeild management system came in I used Ryanair or Aer Arann so to IÉ I'm an extra bum on a seat.

If non-stop buses between Dublin and Cork become a reality the only way I can see IÉ beating the bus is by releasing more €10 (or even €5) fares on-line and go mad marketing them, to balance that though the crazy booking office fare would have to raise even further.

dowlingm

Kent was supposed to get a south entrance (more convenient for the city centre) as part of the station redevelopment. Oh well. Better luck next boom.

foggy_lad

munchkin_utd wrote: »

if you wanted to do it even cheaper, the express bus takes an hour to get to the IFSC via port tunnel and is 11 euro return. Luas then 1.50 each way to heuston.
So bus + luas + train to castlebar is 34 euro in total which is cheaper than your diesel and much cheaper than diesel + tolls if you want to avoid the cross country crap roads

Try €51 return for the train on top of €14 for bus and luas making a total of €65, almost twice the fare of the few who get the cheaper fares.

MoeJay

Crazy rail fare price:

Dundalk-Dublin-Dundalk Tues Feb 14th - €29 (IE)
Newry-Dublin-Newry Tues Feb 14th:
Advance fare £15 (€17.90); Regular fare £20 (€23.88)

Both for the same Enterprise service.....

goingnowhere

Not so

Dundalk Dublin day return, valid after after 9:30am Mon-Sat all day Sun no advanced booking required is €17.00
http://www.irishrail.ie/index.jsp?p=118&n=199

MoeJay

That's great, but if one decides to be in Dublin before 10am.....!

I priced the 0742 leaving Newry (same train as the 0800 in Dundalk) and returning on the service departing Connolly at 1520.

n97 mini

munchkin_utd wrote: »

so.
you turned up at the station and expected ryanair prices on an walk up fare?
Even ryanair dont do that themselves!

Yes OP, how dare you turn up at the station and expect to get a cheap, efficient and comfortable service! It's all your fault.

dowlingm

n97 mini wrote: »

Yes OP, how dare you turn up at the station and expect to get a cheap, efficient and comfortable service! It's all your fault.

If you want that, ask FG to increase IE's subsidy another 50 million euro to keep fares down. IE are trying to maximise revenue by the same means Ryanair and others do - rely on a notion that people who buy tickets close to time of travel are doing so by necessity not choice and thus will pay a higher price.

trellheim

I would love to get the train down, I do dublin cork 7 times in the last 6 week. ( Working in RIngaskiddy ). the 0700 doesn't get in before the pathetic time of 0950, then it's a 30 min at best cab ride. If the first launch from Heuston was 0500 like the first Cork 0505 launch is it'd be better. you'd actually be in town in time to do some business.

dowlingm

trellheim wrote: »

I would love to get the train down, I do dublin cork 7 times in the last 6 week. ( Working in RIngaskiddy ). the 0700 doesn't get in before the pathetic time of 0950, then it's a 30 min at best cab ride. If the first launch from Heuston was 0500 like the first Cork 0505 launch is it'd be better. you'd actually be in town in time to do some business.

It's hard to believe an 0600 22K (x3) wouldn't do as good trade ex Heuston as a lot of other services IE put on, even if it was a MondayOnly service. At least that would get into Cork city centre for a 9am meeting etc. The connection to Limerick could be handled by the commuter service ex Thurles departing 0735. A stop at Mallow could supplement the existing commuter, so arriving 0840-0845, or if more aggressively timed replace the 0800 service for an 0830 arrival.

eaglej13

whole journey took 6 hrs each way and travel was on sunday and tuesday. still think it is expensive. and yes have travelled with four friends many a time in car and it usually costs about €30 each way in fuel. best offer on train is €63 per head.which works out at € 315 return against €60. again it's a public service. so i feel it should not be so expensive espically since so many people in the future might be depending on public service in future.:mad:

on a good note my partner and daughter got a bus journey and the very nice bus driver gave my partner student rate and said my daughter was under 4 even though she 9. making fare €33 down from €58. and no i,m not going to say which journey or when:D

dowlingm

eaglej13 wrote: »

best offer on train is €63 per head.which works out at € 315 return against €60. again it's a public service. so i feel it should not be so expensive espically since so many people in the future might be depending on public service in future.:mad:

Imagine what it would cost if not subsidised by 200m euro a year?

n97 mini

dowlingm wrote: »

Imagine what it would cost if not subsidised by 200m euro a year?

It wouldn't cost anything because it wouldn't exist. It's uncompetitive, surviving on life support.

1huge1

Look I think one of the problems is that Irish Rail said they were introducing a yield management system for the fares, the fact is, that has not come to fruition and it is very hard to get these fares.

I've gotten the train from Dublin to Limerick many a time, especially at night where you could literally count the number of the people on the train, one example is where I paid 30€ (booked it one week before) and there was 5 people in the carriage, I mean who is working behind the scenes, the demand is there, I've seen it on the buses...

dowlingm

1huge1 wrote: »

I've gotten the train from Dublin to Limerick many a time,

via the Junction or direct? they got rid of the directs, presumably for load reasons