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Irish Rail Query

Mr E · 2003-03-02 16:22:48

I have a query about Irish Rail pricing .... I went to Dublin on Friday (on the train from Limerick). Normally, the price of a day return ticket is about €27 or €28 or so. However, last Friday, I was asked to pay €40. I reminded the girl that I only wanted a "day return", and she confirmed that it was €40. Then I asked her…

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02-03-2003 5:22pm

#1

Mr E

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I have a query about Irish Rail pricing .... I went to Dublin on Friday (on the train from Limerick). Normally, the price of a day return ticket is about €27 or €28 or so. However, last Friday, I was asked to pay €40. I reminded the girl that I only wanted a "day return", and she confirmed that it was €40.

Then I asked her if the prices had gone up lately, because this seemed overly expensive (almost a 50% increase). She told me that the prices had not gone up lately, and that it was always €40 return on Friday (and just Friday).

I was running late, so I couldn't question her further.

Can anyone explain the logic behind this bizarre pricing structure? Is it a case of "More people travel on Friday, so we charge more money?".

Looking at the ticket afterwards, I see that it is a "4 Day Return". Do they not issue day returns on a Friday?

It doesn't make sense.

- Dave.

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#2 02-03-2003 8:46pm
spongebob

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yes, weekend rate o friday

would cost more if you started off in Dublin

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#3 02-03-2003 8:52pm
jd

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Originally posted by TmB
Can anyone explain the logic behind this bizarre pricing structure? Is it a case of "More people travel on Friday, so we charge more money?".

It doesn't make sense.

- Dave.

Think of it another way, they have to charge less during the week to stimulate demand..
makes sense to me

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#4 02-03-2003 9:14pm
eth0_

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Hah! That's nothing. Travelled from Dublin to Cork to see Lemon Jelly the weekend before last, we drove down, but I and one other had to get back to Dublin on Saturday so we got the train thinking, oh about €25 euro should do us, right?

Wrong. FOURTY EIGHT EURO for a SINGLE ticket, there wasn't even a buffet car on the fscking train! I'm absolutely disgusted at that! Should really make a complaint about it....I mean how can they justify a 35 euro return ticket mid week, yet charge 48 euro for a mid afternoon saturday on an empty train?

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#5 02-03-2003 9:55pm
sceptre

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Originally posted by eth0_
I mean how can they justify a 35 euro return ticket mid week, yet charge 48 euro for a mid afternoon saturday on an empty train?

I'm pretty sure they'd say they give a discount during the week (making a mid-week ticket cheaper) rather than charging more at the weekend (making a weekend ticket more expensive). Pish and tosh I say, 48 euros is a whack of a cost to travel from Dublin to Cork (and no trip back). Little wonder most people prefer to travel by car then. With a cost like that you wouldn't catch me near a train if I could help it.

(btw, yes I understand how much train tickets are in the UK)

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#6 04-03-2003 10:33am
eth0_

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The pisser is, for an extra 40 quid I could have FLOWN return to Cork.

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#7 12-03-2003 4:30pm
b20uvkft6m5xwg

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Transporting this over to our brand new shiny toaster

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#8 14-03-2003 5:22pm
dmeehan

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From http://www.irishrail.ie/your_ticket/fares_enquiries.asp
Dublin to Killarney
Adult Single €51.50

Day Return €50.00

5 Day Return €50.00

Monthly Return €61.00

What an outrageous price!

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#9 15-03-2003 5:04pm
sligoliner

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> What an outrageous price!

Those flashy TV ads than mean nothing cost a fortune you know... Why are theu advertising anyway? Who else is running trains in Ireland?

This is what is fundmentally flawed with this organisation. They blow vast amounts money on crap like this and then send authoritian sounding letter around to their staff telling them to switch off lights to save money. Did you know that they recently overhauled locomotives and then sent them to the scrapyard? This is level of logic at which Irish Mangement operate.

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#10 15-03-2003 5:15pm
eth0_

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Seriously, i'd LOVE to meet the person who sets these prices and ask him/her what sort of twisted logic they employ that lets them charge MORE for a single journey ticket than a return!

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#11 15-03-2003 10:09pm
Victor

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Originally posted by sligoliner
Those flashy TV ads than mean nothing cost a fortune you know... Why are theu advertising anyway? Who else is running trains in Ireland?

NIR and Bord na Móna and a few others operate trains. However, they are targeting other forms of transport, mostly cars.

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#12 16-03-2003 12:37am
smiles

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Yeah on Fridays you _have_ to buy monthly return tickets, they wont believe that you are going to be returning on the same day, or some such ****.

<< Fio >>

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#13 17-03-2003 12:52am
embraer170

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Well if you think Ireland is expensive, try taking a train in Switzerland, German, France or England. The latter even has a stupid yield management system, the later you book, the more pay. Just like Ryanair.

That said, for value for money and quality of service, I'd select the Swiss/French/German systems anyday.

Jer

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#14 18-03-2003 11:12am
dmeehan

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when you take a train in Germany for instance, you dont have to travel on the ICE (InterCity Express). There are so many differnet levels of trains in germany from the ICE down to the local service trains.

I mean in Germany you buy a weekend ticket which is valid for 5 people for one day and you can travel ANYWHERE as long as you dont use intercity trains.

What price is this ticket, a measly figure of €28

The regional trains you would use on this ticket would mean from Koblenz to Munich would take 10 hours with a few changes instead of 3-4 hours and no changes

Also you can save up to 40% on the ticket price buy buying over 7 days in advance and frequent rail users who hold a "BahnCard" (train card) can get up to another 25% discount

So I would have to disagree with embraer170, German Rail tickets are not expensive

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#15 18-03-2003 11:45am
eth0_

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Originally posted by Victor
NIR and Bord na Móna and a few others operate trains. However, they are targeting other forms of transport, mostly cars.

Bord na mona operate trains? Passenger trains?
You can't really count NIR....because they just use CIE facilities, they aren't a competitior and they don't charge differing fares from stations within the ROI.

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#16 18-03-2003 11:48am
eth0_

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Victor, if you're referring to this:
http://www.bnm.ie/group/peat/clonmacnoise.htm
I shall have to give you a slap!

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#17 18-03-2003 8:07pm
embraer170

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dmeehan,

Actually that's a good point about the discounts and regional tickets in Germany, something I wasn't at all thinking about. Had to travel Hannover-Wolfsburg some years ago and I remember some crazy price for a 30 minute journey.

In Switzerland, by paying around €100 an year (or €150 for two years), you get 1/2 price rail travel.

Wish IE would introduce such a system.

Jer

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#18 18-03-2003 9:28pm
Victor

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A friend did Cologne - Munich on a weekend ticket, used no less than 6 different trains.

Originally posted by embraer170
In Switzerland, by paying around €100 an year (or €150 for two years), you get 1/2 price rail travel. Wish IE would introduce such a system.

Well you can free tickets if you get an annual ticket for about €2,000+ :rolleyes:

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