Commuting from Enfield

eamo17o wrote: »

Looking at buying a house a few km outside Enfield and I am wondering what is the best way to access city center. I have looked at the service by train from Enfield to Connolly/Pearce, but it is not very frequent, and the last train out of the city seems to be shortly after 7pm in the evening. I am considering getting a short hop zone ticket, and either driving to Kilcock/Maynooth or Hazelhatch and taking the train from there. Does anybody else have experience of doing this, or is getting the train from Enfield the best solution? Also, is parking hard to get in Kilcock/Maynooth stations? Hazelhatch seems to have the biggest carpark, and the most direct train line to city center, albeit a further drive from Enfield.

Thanks!

RE Kilcock, I don't think the frequency is appreciably greater than Enfield to be honest, as the higher frequency services terminate at Maynooth, and I'm almost sure anything passing kilcock will also go as far as Enfield and then some.

Hazelhatch services (to Pearse, etc.) operate via the Phoenix Park tunnel, and while I'm not familiar with the timetable, I seem to recall it being less extensive than the Maynooth line.

I'm in Blanchardstown area so have limited current experience of further west, but I seem to recall Leixlip Louisa Bridge as striking the best balance between car park capacity and frequency, as well as being no less accessible from the M4 than Maynooth, so might be worth a look.

eamo17o wrote: »

Looking at buying a house a few km outside Enfield and I am wondering what is the best way to access city center. I have looked at the service by train from Enfield to Connolly/Pearce, but it is not very frequent, and the last train out of the city seems to be shortly after 7pm in the evening. I am considering getting a short hop zone ticket, and either driving to Kilcock/Maynooth or Hazelhatch and taking the train from there. Does anybody else have experience of doing this, or is getting the train from Enfield the best solution? Also, is parking hard to get in Kilcock/Maynooth stations? Hazelhatch seems to have the biggest carpark, and the most direct train line to city center, albeit a further drive from Enfield.

Thanks!

There are quite a few commuters travel from Enfield every day, many of which use the various busses (Kearns, Dublin bus etc) have you considered the bus for commuting?

If you are getting the train it's cheaper to goto maynooth (you can use a leap card from maynooth onwards in towards Dublin) - however you will also have to factor in parking for the day,
maynooth is monitored by a traffic warden who will give tickets if you are parked illegally, there are still some free parking spots in Enfield (they introduced a 3hr limit last year, but I haven't heard of nor seen the traffic warden mentioned online for several months.)

There's also the option of a rideshare, groups of commuters agree to take turns to drive or pay the driver for the comfort of the car travel, sometimes a driver is glad of a bit of company and doesn't want payment.

Traffic in Maynooth can be quite bad and there’s 3 sets of lights to be negotiated between the M4 and the car park at the train station.

Much freer flow of traffic from the M4 to Louisa Bridge station.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

What's the cost and time cost of commuting from Enfield versus the additional capital cost to live closer to the CC? Seems like insanity to me personally to even consider such a commute

Difference Cost to purchase a property would have been around €80k at the time when my home was purchased (2008), travel cost to drive/park would be about €10 a day to goto Maynooth , travel cost to drive/park to Dublin approx €20per day....cost of bus, €8 return.

For many commuters they cannot get a mortgage closer to city Centre for a property which meets their needs (expanding family, safer area, play areas for kids etc), so have no choice but to commute (I have been commuting this route for about 10years, I would love to live closer to work in Dublin but I earn about €30-35k, I’m self employed and I think there’s about another 25ish years left on the mortgage, so in my case I’m unlikely to move unless there’s a lotto/euromillions win or a massive inheritance, but neither are likely.

Many people commute because of necessity- I doubt there are too many people who willingly choose to travel great distances if they didn’t need to, many commuters are saving to purchase, a lot of commuters have found the cost of living outside Dublin to be affordable, my family struggle, but over time we will survive and get through the tough times.

Cookie_monster , I’m guessing you don’t have a mortgage or family to support, these are major factors in choosing what’s affordable, when you are young and single an apartment suits, when you start having kids space is a requirement.... most apartments do not have enough space to put kids stuff, families tend to look for houses, if faced with two options Dublin for €350k or enfield for €250k ... which is better to choose? That’s down to the ability to repay and needs of the person/people looking for a property.

Irishphotodesk wrote: »

For many commuters they cannot get a mortgage closer to city Centre for a property which meets their needs (expanding family, safer area, play areas for kids etc), so have no choice but to commute
...
when you start having kids space is a requirement.... most apartments do not have enough space to put kids stuff, families tend to look for houses, if faced with two options Dublin for €350k or enfield for €250k ... which is better to choose? That’s down to the ability to repay and needs of the person/people looking for a property.

You need a home to live in, you want a place that you feel is safe (which is subjective anyway) and with a big garden. It's their wants that drive people to buy a house a long way from where they work, not their needs.

People forget about the other half of the compromise. They get a big garden but forget about the time spent away from home and away from their family (especially when they're young). They forget about the lack of flexibility that it causes. What happens when children are older and full time childcare isn't an option, when they want to do after-school activities and need to be chauffeured around the place. Will it force one partner to give up work, even if they don't want to?

My advice dont buy in Enfield, we moved there from Dublin 5 years ago, town is fine and so is surrounding areas but the commute will kill you, trust me! We are moving back to Dublin next week as a result of the distance. Looking fwd to having amenities on our doorstep again.