Rail fares for day-return journeys to fall by up to 65pc

dmeehan

from todays Indo (21/2/05)
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1344704&issue_id=12116


Rail fares for day-return journeys to fall by up to 65pc

IARNROD Eireann has announced a Ryanair-style ticket sale with prices for day-return journeys set to fall by as much as 65pc.

The company is offering thousands of discounted tickets available for purchase - on-line and at other outlets - from today with prices falling by almost €40 on some routes.

Day-return tickets from Dublin to Cork, normally €56.50, have fallen to €20 with savings also available on routes from the capital to Tralee, Limerick, Belfast, Galway, Sligo, Waterford and other destinations.

Children's fares are half-price, and the company says there are no supplementary taxes or charges. Fares are available in both directions, and from intermediate stations on the routes, apart from the Dublin/Belfast line where the offer is available only from the south.

The ticket sale begins today on the Cork, Kerry and Limerick routes, with other destinations to be added from next Monday.

"This is the first sale of many where we will sell rail tickets for trains where there is spare capacity at discounted prices for our customers," spokesman Barry Kenny said. "Already our Intercity rail fares are amongst the lowest in Europe."

The price of a ticket from Dublin to Tralee, normally €57.50, will fall to €20. Tickets from the capital to Limerick, Ennis and Belfast will also cost €20, while Dublin to Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Waterford and Rosslare will cost €10.

The special offer tickets can be purchased through the company's website at www.irishrail.ie, or through a special telesales number 1850 444222. Tickets must be purchased at least five days in advance, and can only be used at times specified by the customer.

The company recorded 11.2m Intercity journeys last year. The company is due to take delivery of 67 new carriages for the Dublin-Cork route later this year.

Paul Melia

penexpers

Better be valid for all trains.

EDIT: as in the last time they did this kind of offer they excluded certain early morning trains.

dmeehan

penexpers wrote:

Better be valid for all trains.

i'd say its a case of "Terms and Conditions apply"

penexpers

Yup, as I thought, earliest train to Cork is 10:55. Pointless.

jlang

penexpers wrote:

Yup, as I thought, earliest train to Cork is 10:55. Pointless.

It's not pointless - that's actually the point. Free up space on overcrowded services by giving people an incentive to travel on services that are not packed. They might get some extra passengers too.

Seems to be something they have been able to introduce as a side effect of the seat reservation/online booking system. I wonder if they'll continue to develop the system. I see all the web pages for these special discount services have 'Seat Reservation' in the title bar despite the fact that seats cannot be reserved at these rates!

penexpers

There's no incentive to do it. They are being sold as day returns. Leaving Dublin at 10:55 you get to Cork at about 2pm leaving you about five hours before you need to get the train back.

enterprise

Actually there is an incentive.

It is still cheaper to buy one of these "day returns" than buy a full priced single ticket if only travelling one way. I haven't looked at the full details of the scheme so Im not sure what exactly is on offer, but I will do that later.

enterprise

penexpers wrote:

There's no incentive to do it. They are being sold as day returns. Leaving Dublin at 10:55 you get to Cork at about 2pm leaving you about five hours before you need to get the train back.

As with every thing there is a way around it. Purchase a special offer day return to Tralee and you can travel on the 08.30 Heuston - Tralee, change at Mallow, arrive Cork 11.38.

If your ticket is checked on the train into Cork purchase a day return off the ticket checker, make some excuse up, "I decided to go to Cork instead mate!"

If your ticket is not checked your flying, when you get back to Cork station in the evening for the 19.30 Cork - Heuston purchase a single ticket to Mallow. The 19.30 Cork - Heuston has a connection from Tralee at Mallow (18.00 Tralee - Cork) so your special offer ticket is vaild again from Mallow.

Ok, so a bit more expensive than €20 but still cheaper overall.

Always look deeper than what the website tells you!!


Regards,
Enterprise

dmeehan

or just buy a single from mallow to cork
(how much would that be btw)

enterprise

What would that achieve? You still have to get back to Mallow in the evening!!

Not sure of the exact fare but it is around the €10 mark for a return.

murphaph

Or how about not evading the correct fare. What is it with Irish people always trying to scam the system. IE are ofering these (dirt cheap) fares because they have spare capacity on these trains. If the times don't suit you then just don't take them up on their offer. I personally haven't seen Cork in years so we've bought a pair of 'em and I think 5 hours in the city is plenty of time to have a stroll around, a meal and a few drinks etc. I think it's a great offer and wish IE good fortune in their endeavour.

Metrobest

Irish Rail could do a lot better than this. It's a bit shambolic, isn't it, a "day return" that allows just 5 hours daytripping? Why isn't it €10 each way, come back when you choose? That would be too customer friendly, I guess.

enterprise

murphaph wrote:

Or how about not evading the correct fare. What is it with Irish people always trying to scam the system. IE are ofering these (dirt cheap) fares because they have spare capacity on these trains. If the times don't suit you then just don't take them up on their offer. I personally haven't seen Cork in years so we've bought a pair of 'em and I think 5 hours in the city is plenty of time to have a stroll around, a meal and a few drinks etc. I think it's a great offer and wish IE good fortune in their endeavour.

I wasn't endorsing it. I just suggesting it as one way you can spend a few hours longer in Cork. I agree with you, 5 hours is enough in Cork, I lived there for a few years and im not going to do it again!

murphaph

enterprise wrote:

5 hours is enough in Cork, I lived there for a few years and im not going to do it again!

@metrobest: "why not €10?", well why not free seeing as they have empty trains running anyway? come on, it's a semi-state but it's a business none the less and €20 return to Cork/Kerry is a damn good fare by any standards. Anyway, it is going to be €10 to Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Waterford and Rosslare. Coming back when YOU want would defeat the purpose of IE trying to fill trains THEY deem to have low demand. If this turns out to be a more permanent feature then they could allow you to return on a different day at the same time.

John R

Metrobest wrote:

Irish Rail could do a lot better than this. It's a bit shambolic, isn't it, a "day return" that allows just 5 hours daytripping? Why isn't it €10 each way, come back when you choose? That would be too customer friendly, I guess.

Because just like every other operator they do not want to sell cheap tickets for already packed services. You don't see Ryanair offering low fares on peak time services either, if you want to travel low-cost then you have to be flexible time wise.