Dublin to Limerick commuter rail ticket EUR 5'000

Impetus

Iarnrod Eireann charges EUR 5'000 for a commuter ticket from Limerick to Dublin. With restrictions.

A Swiss GA allows one unlimited use of the entire Swiss public transport system (trains, trams, boats, funicular, buses etc) for CHF 3'860 (EUR 3'383) for a year. And one receives a high quality frequent service on all routes. And while the Swiss Travel System has dozens of companies*, one ticket does all. One just carries the ticket - a credit card like document. No RFID validation at stations etc. And there are no stupid, painful, repetitive, recorded voice announcements in two languages reminding one to not smoke and take all your baggage with you etc. In Switzerland, the message is simply "next stop Morges" - using the language of the Canton (using standard German, French or Italian - not the local cantonal lingo), except for airport railway stations where the message is repeated in English.

If you lived in Basel and worked in Zurich, one could leave Basel at 07h07 and arrive in Zurich at 08h. Leaving time for a tram journey to the office from Zurich HB. No friction. No ticket checking barriers. Duplex trains (two story) to minimize the walking distance from your seat to the exit).

Switzerland is one of the only democratic countries in the world that allows the people to over-ride politicians. Ireland/the EU is a bureaucratic cartel to engineered to screw the victim citizens and deliver sub-standard services to them.

https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/railpasses/ga/adults.html

*Supporting companies and route map (2 pages): https://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/sbb/de/pdf/abos-billette/abonnemente/ga/karte-geltungsbereich-ga-halbtax-stand-dezember2016_en_barrierefrei.pdf

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/the-lives-of-irish-commuters-i-m-in-the-car-up-to-5-hours-a-day-but-i-have-no-other-choice-1.3196003

JCX BXC

Frankly this issue with announcements is a bit much, I don't mind the announcements and think alot of them can be useful for the less familiar with Public Transport.

However the pricing is extreme, even with Tax Saver.

L1011

Nobody pays 5k for that ticket - they pay 3600 or 2600 roughly via taxsaver. Id imagine the numbers buying it at all are tiny

goingnowhere

Well if we had the level of subsidy and the restricted competition that the Swiss have we would have a fantastic railway.

The Swiss railways are not terribly fast but there isn't any competition, you can't take the bus, you can't drive your truck it has to go on the train


Basel Zurich is 85km, basically Dublin Portlaoise which including the Luas is 4010 pa, 1925pa after the taxsaver scheme if at the highest tax rates. Journey time wise its about the same also. So for all the fuss about Switzerland the only complaint you can have is having to go through a turnstile to validate you have a valid ticket

LXFlyer

Impetus wrote: »

Iarnrod Eireann charges EUR 5'000 for a commuter ticket from Limerick to Dublin. With restrictions.

There are no restrictions on the use of this ticket.

That ticket is in fact an Iarnrod Eireann All Services ticket, which covers the entire country.

https://www.taxsaver.ie/Ticket-Types/Annual-Tickets/Iarnrod-Eireann-Irish-Rail/

As others have pointed out it is considerably cheaper than that when one takes advantage of the Taxsaver Scheme.

dowlingm

Dublin-Limerick is 201km
Basel-Zurich is 88km

The latter is an arguable commuter distance. Don't think the former is.