Card reader vandalised, charged max fare.

vektarman

I thought I'd give a heads up on this if it hasn't already been mentioned, I discovered that the card reader at Broombridge station isn't working due to vandalism with the result that myself and any other unsuspecting passenger getting off a train here with a card are being charged the maximum fare (€4.30), even for the shortest journeys, I rang the helpdesk to be told 'it's always being vandalised so we've given up on it', when I brought up the subject of a refund I was told I'd have open an online account and register my card in order to qualify for a refund.
I only use the train and my smartcard occasionally so I don't really want to set up an account but I thought I'd give a heads-up for anyone using Broombridge station, or the smartcard customer service for that matter.

Jehuty42

The gates at Clonsilla have been removed and blocked off so now the only validation is through the two smartcard readers(I'm actually not sure how people buying tickets from the ticket machines are managing not being able to validate the ticket at the start of their journey). The citybound platform reader has been broken twice in the last week so I was charged the max fare at Pearse both times. It's only a couple of euro so I don't really care tbh, but it's annoying.

Run_to_da_hills

Something gets vandalised at Broombridge. :eek:

vektarman

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Something gets vandalised at Broombridge. :eek:

yep, what a dump, this is the same station I found my stolen scooter being driven along (platform and then railway tracks!) a couple of years ago, I try to avoid it as much as possible...

AlekSmart

Is this the same Broombridge which is leading the "Station of the Year" stakes...???

dowlingm

Is Broombridge within Varadkar's TD bailiwick? If Alan Kelly can get a feckin' 22K surely Leo can sort some STT types.

SeanW

The crowd that makes trouble in Boombridge come from Finglas, Ireland's answer to Fort Apache and Dublin's version of Moyross/Southill.

Realistically there's not a whole lot to be done about it, unrealistically though I have a few rather draconian ideas

dowlingm

They better figure it out if RPA want to park 29 Citadis there.

foggy_lad

OP I would not tag on at all if your destination is Broombridge as the leap/smart card readers are unable to tag you off so therefore Irish rail are failing to sell you a ticket for your journey so that journey should be free!

There is something really wrong, almost fraudulent even with Irish Rail allowing people buy tickets when they know these people will be overcharged by them and they are doing very little about it apart from requesting passengers jump through hoops to get refunded!

vektarman

An update to this: Customer services advised me to buy a ticket for any journey to Broombridge and not to use my smartcard as the validator there was permanently broken, they once again recommended that I open an online smartcard account and register my card to get a refund, well I tried that only to be told that as I already have an Irishrail account I was directed to the IE site to register my smartcard, when I tried registering my card on the IE site it sent me back to the original site which had already directed me to the IE site, so basically I'm being sent around in circles.
I rang customer support once again and they said to e-mail the software support department so I've now given up as I've other things to do with my life..:mad:

foggy_lad

Again advising people to buy a ticket for journeys to Broombridge is actually overcharging them deliberately as the ticket will be dearer than the leap or smart card fare!

n97 mini

vektarman wrote: »

An update to this: Customer services advised me

Did you phone the IE Smartcard phone number on the back of the card? I've had to phone them a few times and always found them to be helpful. I just phone up, state how I was overcharged and they always say "Ok, I'll get that put back on your card".

vektarman

n97 mini wrote: »

Did you phone the IE Smartcard phone number on the back of the card? I've had to phone them a few times and always found them to be helpful. I just phone up, state how I was overcharged and they always say "Ok, I'll get that put back on your card".

I managed to register the card at last so I'm going to try that number again on Monday when the helpdesk is open again.

devnull

When did they put the validator in Broombridge? I thought there was nothing there?

Carawaystick

*possibly* worth asking Newstalk/George hook about this as they seem to have a love affair with B***y K****y
could make him lie explaining this.

probably with quoting some leap card pr saying there's validators at each train station in the short hop area

n97 mini

vektarman wrote: »

I managed to register the card at last so I'm going to try that number again on Monday when the helpdesk is open again.

The best times are 10am to 12:30pm and 2:15pm to 4pm (or 3pm Friday). They seem to answer during core flexitime hours only, and it may take a few calls for them to pick up. Don't bother leaving a voicemail as it could be days before it gets listened to and acted upon. Once you do get a hold of them, they're very helpful.

monument

dowlingm wrote: »

They better figure it out if RPA want to park 29 Citadis there.

The station/stop upgrade, the tramway, the depot and parking trams there is exactly what the area needs.

Cleaning up and blocking off the tram stop and depot area and stopping it from being a playground for the disfranchise does a lot before you you get trams on the ground. Active security will be needed to keep the stop safe and keep the expensive trams safe. You'll also have the station/stop becoming more useful for locals and others, and that adds to passive security. As well as those things, with the arrival of Luas it's more likely that businesses (including Irish Rail and the Luas operators), landowners, residents and commuters see reasons to put on political pressure for the security of the area to work.

That's the theory anyway, hopefully it works.

n97 mini

monument wrote: »

The station/stop upgrade, the tramway, the depot and parking trams there is exactly what the area needs.

Hmm. I would have said it needs a tunnel.

the_syco

You need to drop napalm on either side of the tracks to get rid of the brush and the "dens" under the bushes where you'll see people congregating around small fires, and get rid of all of the shelters on the platforms.

Also, you'll need light posts that are at least 20 feet tall and surrounded by bulletproof glass that has very bright lights that will illuminate the surroundings.

Unfair for the fare paying public, but it should also discourage the scum from hanging around there and thus allow people to get the train without being intimated.

It'll also mean that said machines don't get vandalized.