Delays on Rail Services - CLAIM YOUR REFUNDS

Emme

Yesterday evening all trains out of Heuston were delayed because of a signal fault. I got home an hour later than anticipated.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/commuters-experience-major-delays-on-irish-rail-services-due-to-signal-fault-31394057.html

There were also delays on Monday 13th July:
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/reported-firearm-sighting-delays-waterford-dublin-train-686327.html

Services out of Heuston were also delayed on July 9th due to a mechanical fault on a freight service. Again I got home an hour later than anticipated.

That's 3 delays of an hour in 3 weeks. Driving to work is beginning to look very attractive.

Train tickets are not cheap and increase in price on a regular basis. Despite this the service is getting worse. People are crammed into commuter trains and they don't know when they will reach their destination. Handing out free tea, coffee, water and goodies doesn't resolve the problem.

A woman in the seat beside me was very distressed because she had planned to collect her son from football practice and she couldn't get hold of anyone to collect him for her.

I hear that there are also delays out of Connolly station with rail and DART services.

I doubt if services on Irish Rail will improve soon. However people should be aware that they can get a refund if they are more than an hour late. Here are some links:

Passenger Charter & Refund Form link:
http://www.irishrail.ie/contact-us/faqs?i=4235

Scroll down to download refund form.

The paltry refunds are as follows:

One to two hours 50% in vouchers
Two hours or more 100% in vouchers

This does not compensate for the added expense of childcare imposed on some people or the inconvenience imposed on others. However they are better than nothing and the more people who claim refunds the more pressure will be put on Irish Rail to provide a half-decent service.

MOH

Unfortunately, you can't actually get a refund.

Instead you get an Irish Rail voucher for the sum, which you have to use within certain time period (think it's 1 or 3 months). Assuming it hasn't changed in the last few years, it's a paper docket made out specifically to you, and I think one of the conditions is that only you can use it and you may be asked for ID. (I may be wrong about the last bit, and it probably isn't enforced anyway).

But it basically costs them nothing. Two hours late? Here, have a piece of paper that will entitle you to be two hours later again sometime in the next month.

goingnowhere

Not so

Once the delay exceeds 1 hour you are entitled to cold hard cash

http://www.railusers.ie/passenger_info/ec1371.php

Banjoxed

Diddums couldn't be collected from football practice?

Aaaaah.

Christ knows the long term impact of cotton wooling generations of kids will be.

Buy the little bugger a bike missus.

redmicky

Time is money. How log will it take to chase down a few euro refund?
Do your self a favour and forget about it, the sun is shining go out and enjoy it now while you can.

Hilly Bill

MOH wrote: »

Unfortunately, you can't actually get a refund.

Instead you get an Irish Rail voucher for the sum, which you have to use within certain time period (think it's 1 or 3 months). Assuming it hasn't changed in the last few years, it's a paper docket made out specifically to you, and I think one of the conditions is that only you can use it and you may be asked for ID. (I may be wrong about the last bit, and it probably isn't enforced anyway).

But it basically costs them nothing. Two hours late? Here, have a piece of paper that will entitle you to be two hours later again sometime in the next month.

You can ask for cash.You exchange the voucher at the ticket office for cash.

MOH

goingnowhere wrote: »

Not so

Once the delay exceeds 1 hour you are entitled to cold hard cash

http://www.railusers.ie/passenger_info/ec1371.php

As I said, it may have changed, but the passenger charter still just says vouchers

Hilly Bill wrote: »

You can ask for cash.You exchange the voucher at the ticket office for cash.

Great, so having being delayed you then have to waste more time going to an Irish Rail ticket office to get your refund.

goingnowhere

Charter has no legal standing

EU rules require refunds in cash at 60 minute delays, no excuses, not even act of god can be used, they MUST pay out in cash within 28 days

billyhead

Hilly Bill wrote: »

You can ask for cash.You exchange the voucher at the ticket office for cash.

You cannot get a cash refund with these vouchers as it states on the reverse they cannot be exchanged for cash

Hilly Bill

goingnowhere wrote: »

Charter has no legal standing

EU rules require refunds in cash at 60 minute delays, no excuses, not even act of god can be used, they MUST pay out in cash within 28 days

Eu rules? Link?

foggy_lad

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Eu rules? Link?

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32007R1371&from=EN

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32007R1371&from=EN

http://www.railusers.ie/passenger_info/ec1371.php

Until December 2014, as the Irish Government had exempted Irish Rail from all elements of EC 1371 which apply to domestic rail journeys the regulation applied only to cross border travel. From December 2014 these rules apply to ALL services.

Jamie2k9

billyhead wrote: »

You cannot get a cash refund with these vouchers as it states on the reverse they cannot be exchanged for cash

I believe you can