Raheny DART station not open in mornings.

Captain Chaos

I've noticed recently that Raheny DART station no long opens in the mornings.

This mean no one can buy tickets or top up their LEAP cards. This situation is not acceptable imo.

Lat week a friend of mine was fined at Pearse after boarding a train from Raheny at 7am. He informed the Irish Rail employee that the ticket office was closed so he was unable to topup his card. They still issued a fine even though he explained he could not pay at the start point as there were no means to do so but offered to pay at Pearse.

Same happened me on Monday, I was at the station at 6,10am. I had no way to top up my Leap card, expecting the ticket office to be open to do so.

So Irish Rail need to advise that you cannot board trains at Raheny unless you know in advance you are travelling and top up in advance. Completely stupid settup, I decided to leave my car at home at the last minute and use public transport but get fined in doing so.

If Irish Rail want to leave the station unmanned then place ticket machines in open like Howth Junction. The booking office is closed but the ticket machines are in the main halls open.

gimli2112

I top up my Leap automatically via DD, which works very well.

I agree however that if they are going to close the station they need to have machines out in the open so people can access them. It's nonsense you can be fined when you get to the destination.

Saw something recently that they are closing/unmanning a large number of stations, that will be services by hubs.

I know for example my station will be unmanned.

Captain Chaos

I've not a problem being unmanned so long as the ability to top up or buy a paper ticket exists at all hours the trains operate.

I could have topped up my LEAP online or through my phone if it worked in real time but it takes 24hrs to process unless you top up at a machine.

Very bad form from Irish Rail. This needs to be addressed at all stations effected. Also what would happen if machines in the open are vandalised, that's another issue.

L1011

If there's no machines possible I'm fairly certain neither their byelaws (which only state you need to buy a ticket if the office is open, not a TVM - and TVMs did exist across the Dublin area at the time they were written) or the more recent Acts (which require there to be an intent to travel without a ticket) allow them to issue fines.

Colonel Claptrap

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Also what would happen if machines in the open are vandalised, that's another issue.

Portmarnock station have 2 machines inside a brick vestibule with metal shutters at the front. At night the shutters automatically close then reopen in the morning. The machines are never vandalized, but the tag machines which are out in the open are always vandalized.

Alun

Captain Chaos wrote: »

I've not a problem being unmanned so long as the ability to top up or buy a paper ticket exists at all hours the trains operate.

I could have topped up my LEAP online or through my phone if it worked in real time but it takes 24hrs to process unless you top up at a machine.

Very bad form from Irish Rail. This needs to be addressed at all stations effected. Also what would happen if machines in the open are vandalised, that's another issue.

If you use your phone to top up via the app it's instantaneous, isn't it?

Captain Chaos

Captain Chaos wrote: »

I could have topped up my LEAP online or through my phone if it worked in real time but it takes 24hrs to process unless you top up at a machine.

The LEAP app top up is instant.
Edit: Snap!

Captain Chaos

Deleted User wrote: »

The LEAP app top up is instant.
Edit: Snap!

Never knew that. I only topped through the Leap website once when it was brand new and it took 24hrs for the credit to go on my account, this was before the app existed.

Dravokivich

Alun wrote: »

If you use your phone to top up via the app it's instantaneous, isn't it?

No app for iPhone though. And the android phone needs NFC, which isn't always a given.

Stephen15

Would you or your friend not write a complaint to Irish Rail especially about the fine as I think the byelaws state that a ticket should be bought at the first possible oppurtunity however buying a ticket at the station was not a possible opportunity in this case. I know I certainly would if it was me and I would be demanding that the fine is declared null and void and would expect an apology from them even something like a free train ticket or leap card credit.

Captain Chaos

Stephen15 wrote: »

Would you or your friend not write a complaint to Irish Rail especially about the fine as I think the byelaws state that a ticket should be bought at the first possible oppurtunity however buying a ticket at the station was not a possible opportunity in this case. I know I certainly would if it was me and I would be demanding that the fine is declared null and void and would expect an apology from them even something like a free train ticket or leap card credit.

True, but I think may be superceeded by the fact I think they state somewhere that you cannot board a train without a valid ticket. I don't know at this stage.

When my fired was fined they even had Gardai there at Pearse too backup up the Revenue Protection staff of Irish Rail. I will admit as he did himself he started to get thick with them but the Gards were having none of it.

Anyway, just wanted to raise the issue of IR having un manned stations during operating hours and no way of physically paying for a ticket unless you plan ahead or have an NFC phone.

thomasj

Stephen15 wrote:

Would you or your friend not write a complaint to Irish Rail especially about the fine as I think the byelaws state that a ticket should be bought at the first possible oppurtunity however buying a ticket at the station was not a possible opportunity in this case. I know I certainly would if it was me and I would be demanding that the fine is declared null and void and would expect an apology from them even something like a free train ticket or leap card credit.

Better off writing a letter to the metro and at least if it's in the public domain, its a better chance of grabbing their attention not to mention highlight the issue to the travelling public using that station

Hilly Bill

Captain Chaos wrote: »

I've noticed recently that Raheny DART station no long opens in the mornings.

This mean no one can buy tickets or top up their LEAP cards. This situation is not acceptable imo.

Lat week a friend of mine was fined at Pearse after boarding a train from Raheny at 7am. He informed the Irish Rail employee that the ticket office was closed so he was unable to topup his card. They still issued a fine even though he explained he could not pay at the start point as there were no means to do so but offered to pay at Pearse.

Same happened me on Monday, I was at the station at 6,10am. I had no way to top up my Leap card, expecting the ticket office to be open to do so.

So Irish Rail need to advise that you cannot board trains at Raheny unless you know in advance you are travelling and top up in advance. Completely stupid settup, I decided to leave my car at home at the last minute and use public transport but get fined in doing so.

If Irish Rail want to leave the station unmanned then place ticket machines in open like Howth Junction. The booking office is closed but the ticket machines are in the main halls open.

If you had no access to the ticket office or ticket machines then you can pay at your destination. The RPU should know what station is closed.

L1011

thomasj wrote: »

Better off writing a letter to the metro and at least if it's in the public domain, its a better chance of grabbing their attention not to mention highlight the issue to the travelling public using that station

The Metro ceased circulation about 5 years ago.

Jamie2k9

Would say they got the fine as they stated they had a Leap Card and could have topped up.

An appeal should cancel it.

thomasj

L1011 wrote:

The Metro ceased circulation about 5 years ago.

Oh right !

Hilly Bill

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Would say they got the fine as they stated they had a Leap Card and could have topped up.

An appeal should cancel it.

They could have topped up at the ticket machine if it was open.

jjbrien

Hilly Bill wrote: »

They could have topped up at the ticket machine if it was open.

OP said theres no ticket machines there outside the ticket office.

ongarboy

Thread title a bit misleading. It's the ticket office that's shut in the morning, not the actual station.

Agreed though though that ticket vending machines should be available for Leap card top ups and/or single tickets when a staff member is not physically present.

If they want their customers to operate a fully online service, then that should be made clear with large signs in front of the station stating times that this service is in operation and also online when passengers are consulting times (similar to the alerts you see on the IR Journey Planner stating lifts at certain stations are out of order).

GerardKeating

ongarboy wrote: »

Agreed though though that ticket vending machines should be available for Leap card top ups and/or single tickets when a staff member is not physically present.

As others mentions, machine in the open tend to be valdalised.

Leap cards can be topped up online.

L1011

GerardKeating wrote: »

As others mentions, machine in the open tend to be valdalised.

The same S&B model, with working contactless none the less, survives on the Luas network outdoors. Also, as mentioned, they have remote closing security shutter enclosures available too.

GerardKeating wrote: »

Leap cards can be topped up online.

Non-immediate at the gates though. That there's a few half-solutions doesn't allow them to charge penalty fares for their failure to sell tickets.

dowlingm

Oh no, don't tell me Sh!te and Buckled have flogged their gear in Dublin too. Not getting a happy reception in their gear's rollout here in Toronto. The ticket machines do some very odd things at times, and as for the fare gates...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuRTjalgROk

TCM

gimli2112 wrote:

I top up my Leap automatically via DD, which works very well.

Simple, reliable and never have to worry about credit etc.

TCM

Leap card can also be topped up via phone app. Works really well.

L1011

dowlingm wrote: »

Oh no, don't tell me Sh!te and Buckled have flogged their gear in Dublin too. Not getting a happy reception in their gear's rollout here in Toronto. The ticket machines do some very odd things at times, and as for the fare gates...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuRTjalgROk

All IE and Luas TVMs have been S&B since day one I believe. IE have much older software and fewer features enabled than possible - contactless readers are fitted but don't work, no notes in change etc

Credit Checker Moose

I would go to court if I was in the same situation. I would be confident of winning too.