Irish Rail

oppenheimer1 · 10-09-2011 12:39AM

Well according to google it costs 80 euro in fuel + tolls to drive the return trip to Killarney from Dublin. Trains don't run on air...

languagenerd · 10-09-2011 12:44AM

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Well according to google it costs 80 euro in fuel + tolls to drive the return trip to Killarney from Dublin. Trains don't run on air...

Yeah, but it's not going to cost €80 fuel per passenger! Considering many other countries charge much less for train tickets than we do, it can/should be done.

squod · 10-09-2011 12:47AM

languagenerd wrote: »

Yeah, but it's not going to cost €80 fuel per passenger! Considering many other countries charge much less for train tickets than we do, it can/should be done.

Not going to get done though. Probably two thirds of the profit* from that ticket goes into a generous pension scheme.

*as if Irish rail will ever make a profit.

oppenheimer1 · 10-09-2011 12:55AM

languagenerd wrote: »

Yeah, but it's not going to cost €80 fuel per passenger! Considering many other countries charge much less for train tickets than we do, it can/should be done.

Train tickets, bought on the day, are even more expensive in the UK

Stinicker · 10-09-2011 12:58AM

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Well according to google it costs 80 euro in fuel + tolls to drive the return trip to Killarney from Dublin. Trains don't run on air...

Trains are actually incredibly efficient and a train would get about 10 - 15mpg on Diesel, they drive at between 100 to 120km/h and have very little inclines and the rolling resistance and friction of rail is very little compared to road transport.

Running a bus to Dublin takes far more fuel per passenger yet is almost half the price. The reason Irish Rail is so expensive it exists not as a transportation company but as "a job for the boys", massive pensions, early retirements, big salarys and under performance and a lazy corrupt attitude that wants to close Rail travel in Ireland is the order of the day.

Ireland in the past had a pretty good private railway system, after it was nationalised they closed most of it down and then proceeded to run it as a place where Fianna Fail hacks could be dumped into jobs for life without any of the pressure or pride you might find in a normal private enterprise job. Carrying passengers is a mere nuisance to the morons in charge of this public sector monstrosity of a quango.

Oh and since it was nationalised it runs at a loss every year despite the massive fares it gets huge subsidies each year to keep the slow overpriced trains moving. The whole system of running trains should be privatised, close down CIE and keep the network and assets in state ownership but let a private operator run it properly with incentives for good customer service and low fares. Cut out the leeching quangos and run it as a Railway and not a dumping ground for morons who wouldn't get a job in McDonalds, the dole is there to look after them.

oppenheimer1 · 10-09-2011 01:13AM

Stinicker wrote: »

Trains are actually incredibly efficient and a train would get about 10 - 15mpg on Diesel, they drive at between 100 to 120km/h and have very little inclines and the rolling resistance and friction of rail is very little compared to road transport.

Running a bus to Dublin takes far more fuel per passenger yet is almost half the price. The reason Irish Rail is so expensive it exists not as a transportation company but as "a job for the boys", massive pensions, early retirements, big salarys and under performance and a lazy corrupt attitude that wants to close Rail travel in Ireland is the order of the day.

Ireland in the past had a pretty good private railway system, after it was nationalised they closed most of it down and then proceeded to run it as a place where Fianna Fail hacks could be dumped into jobs for life without any of the pressure or pride you might find in a normal private enterprise job. Carrying passengers is a mere nuisance to the morons in charge of this public sector monstrosity of a quango.

Oh and since it was nationalised it runs at a loss every year despite the massive fares it gets huge subsidies each year to keep the slow overpriced trains moving. The whole system of running trains should be privatised, close down CIE and keep the network and assets in state ownership but let a private operator run it properly with incentives for good customer service and low fares. Cut out the leeching quangos and run it as a Railway and not a dumping ground for morons who wouldn't get a job in McDonalds, the dole is there to look after them.

Like british rail, the reason it is the prices are quite high is twofold. A lot of money was spent recently on upgrades, necessary through years of neglect, on borrowed money which all has to be paid back. As a semi state CIE debt is seperate to government debt.

Legacy wages for IR staff are high for the level of skill required. But then this is a social choice, should the wages be set by the market where they are not a livable wage to raise a family on... or should employees be given enough to have a happy content stable life?

squod · 10-09-2011 01:25AM

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

But then this is a social choice, should the wages be set by the market where they are not a livable wage to raise a family on... or should employees be given enough to have a happy content stable life?

Would you be prepared to pay significantly more for your basket of groceries in return for a pension scheme for tesco/lidl/dunnes stores workers?

ArmaniJeanss · 10-09-2011 01:45AM

Killarney to Dublin on the 6th October, returning 7th October comes in at a grand total of €20 on the irish rail website.

Looks absolutely terrific value, and more than a match for the €15 'anywhere in Belgium' fare mentioned earlier seeing as Belgium is about 30% the size of Ireland.

Don't see what the OPs problem is, kudos to Irish Rail.

blackdog2 · 10-09-2011 01:49AM

Guill wrote: »

They are cu nts, stupid money to be asked to pay. Ignorant pricks working for them too, smelly carraiges, **** food, ****tier toilets, always late, etc, etc, etc.

Would be worried if the food was ****tier than the toilets

yerraya · 10-09-2011 02:19AM

Prop Joe wrote: »

80 Bloody squid for a return Kerry to Dublin are these cants for real ????

P.S Mods move if necessary

Book online and its far cheaper....sometimes you can even get €10 tickets though the times arent always great....if you're an o2 customer they offer a 10% discount which is redeemable when you book online even if the ticket is a special offer.just checked there and the cheapest you'll get is €37.50 one way from Dub to Tralee. But keep an eye out for the €10 offers as the full price is a scandalous amount to be paying:eek:

http://www.irishrail.ie/your_journey/timetables_junction1.asp

Stinicker · 10-09-2011 02:52AM

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Killarney to Dublin on the 6th October, returning 7th October comes in at a grand total of €20 on the irish rail website.

Looks absolutely terrific value, and more than a match for the €15 'anywhere in Belgium' fare mentioned earlier seeing as Belgium is about 30% the size of Ireland.

Don't see what the OPs problem is, kudos to Irish Rail.

Its a train journey not a flight, people tend to book train journeys late in advance wheras the average flight gets booked a few weeks before.

A person may be living say in Dublin but their mother got sick and they needed to visit them tomorrow for example they will pay the €75 and it is well and good to claim that yes you can travel for €20 however like Ryanair less than 5% of the passengers will get that fare as it is a train and not an airline service.

Train prices should be set properly, they are not an airline and have a monopoly on their service. We could all apply this stupid type of mentality, umm let me think I won't get my groceries, i'll travel next week when petrol costs might be 1c/litre cheaper.

The company is wrong and are ripping off the Irish travelling public and should be brought to task.

yerraya · 10-09-2011 02:57AM

Grey Fat Hairdo wrote: »

But you get wi-fi so it's great value now

Ha "free" wifi!!!! on selected journeys apparently ones I'm never on!!!:rolleyes:

ArmaniJeanss · 10-09-2011 03:05AM

Stinicker wrote: »

Its a train journey not a flight, people tend to book train journeys late in advance wheras the average flight gets booked a few weeks before.

A person may be living say in Dublin but their mother got sick and they needed to visit them tomorrow for example they will pay the €75 and it is well and good to claim that yes you can travel for €20 however like Ryanair less than 5% of the passengers will get that fare as it is a train and not an airline service.

Train prices should be set properly, they are not an airline and have a monopoly on their service. We could all apply this stupid type of mentality, umm let me think I won't get my groceries, i'll travel next week when petrol costs might be 1c/litre cheaper.

The company is wrong and are ripping off the Irish travelling public and should be brought to task.

Maybe people need to change their booking habits and book 3 or 4 weeks in advance and avail of fares like €20 return Killarney to Dublin.

Or alternatively not make false comparison (not you, other posters) to special fares on the continent, because if you book London to Edinburgh or Paris to Marseilles looking to travel tomorrow because of a family emergency then you won't be getting any special deals, you will be paying top dollar.

€70 or €80 return if looking to travel in the next few days (or on a service for which there is high demand) strikes me as a fair price, not even close to a 'rip-off'.

yerraya · 10-09-2011 03:08AM

To be fair booking online can be done up to one hour prior departure so even if it is a measily few euro you save it all adds up in recessionary times:D

Stinicker · 10-09-2011 03:27AM

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Maybe people need to change their booking habits and book 3 or 4 weeks in advance and avail of fares like €20 return Killarney to Dublin.

Or alternatively not make false comparison (not you, other posters) to special fares on the continent, because if you book London to Edinburgh or Paris to Marseilles looking to travel tomorrow because of a family emergency then you won't be getting any special deals, you will be paying top dollar.

€70 or €80 return if looking to travel in the next few days (or on a service for which there is high demand) strikes me as a fair price, not even close to a 'rip-off'.

Its a train not a plane, travelling tomorrow should not make it more expensive than booking in three weeks time. If there is high demand there should be extra trains laid on to cope with demand, its public transport remember.

Anything over €45 to travel by train in Ireland is a rip-off when you compare the poor service available and length of time for such a small country. People like you just accept things like this is endemic and very reason Ireland is the mess it is in today. I'll wager a bet that you were also a Fianna Fail voter.

Radharc na Sleibhte · 10-09-2011 03:34AM

languagenerd wrote: »

The rail prices are pretty ridiculous here. You could get return flights to Spain for that!

I was in Belgium last month, and they had a deal on that you could get return train tickets to anywhere else in Belgium for €15 during the summer. And their trains are clean!

.....but then he'd be in Spain?
He wants to go to Dublin!

ArmaniJeanss · 10-09-2011 03:59AM

Stinicker wrote: »

Its a train not a plane, travelling tomorrow should not make it more expensive than booking in three weeks time. If there is high demand there should be extra trains laid on to cope with demand, its public transport remember.

Well thats the European train pricing model which a few people have espoused. Book in advance = cheap, Walk Up fare = quite expensive.

Stinicker wrote: »

Anything over €45 to travel by train in Ireland is a rip-off when you compare the poor service available and length of time for such a small country. People like you just accept things like this is endemic and very reason Ireland is the mess it is in today. I'll wager a bet that you were also a Fianna Fail voter.

(No, generally always vote Fine Gael, but tactically voted Brian Lenihan in Dublin West last time to help prevent the left getting 3 seats. So you can hang me on that

)

Honestly don't see anything 'rip-off' with a €70/€80 fare for a 500 mile round trip; If I'm willing to book early and you wish to book late on a whim then I think its eminently fair and sensible that my ticket should be cheaper than yours.

Chuck Stone · 10-09-2011 04:06AM

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

But then this is a social choice, should the wages be set by the market where they are not a livable wage to raise a family on... or should employees be given enough to have a happy content stable life?

Social choice?

It's funny that you use the word 'choice' to describe IR seeing as people have no choice but to subsidize their monopoly which is a no choice service.

Can you imagine if people had a choice about whether their taxes are spent on self-serving monopoly like IR?

If you would like your taxes to go towards paying the wages and pensions of IR staff and the running of their service tick this box __

How many people would tick the box?

saywhatyousee · 10-09-2011 04:22AM

I dont get why people always knock IR, trains are usually clean,comfortable,services frequent

OPENROAD · 10-09-2011 04:28AM

Prop Joe wrote: »

80 Bloody squid for a return Kerry to Dublin are these cants for real ????

P.S Mods move if necessary

First Class?

suicide_circus · 10-09-2011 05:07AM

squod wrote: »

Would you be prepared to pay significantly more for your basket of groceries in return for a pension scheme for tesco/lidl/dunnes stores workers?

Great point. Answer: of course not! You see, legacy staff in semi states need to have their coddles mollied every step of the way. You see, their lives and families' living standards are inherently more important than those of people working in the ptivate sector. They must be uncritically protected and shielded from real life at all costs.

Run_to_da_hills · 10-09-2011 09:25AM

What annoys me about Irish Rail is the amount of tax payers money that has been wasted in recent years.

You can't go anywhere across the country's rail network without tripping over abandoned MK3 rail carriages, many which were in perfect condition with as much as 15 years service life left in them.

The MK3's gave a much smoother ride than the MK4's DVT sets that are currently used on the Dublin Cork / Enterprise run.

10-09-2011 10:38AM

Public transport in this country is an absolute joke. if it weren't for privately owned companies like GoBus and Citylink then I'd rarely travel anywhere. It pains me to travel with Bus Eireann and I flatout refuse to travel with IrishRail, especially with the prices they charge. Barcelona to Valencia cost me 50€ for a distance of 400 miles with Renfe. They're trains are luxury compared to what IrishRail provides.

DWCommuter · 10-09-2011 10:43AM

I bet Commuting & Transport really don't want this thread.:D

Jesus Wept · 10-09-2011 10:44AM

One the worst websites on the internet, along with Bus Eireann. Well played.

Run_to_da_hills · 10-09-2011 10:46AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Public transport in this country is an absolute joke. if it weren't for privately owned companies like GoBus and Citylink then I'd rarely travel anywhere. It pains me to travel with Bus Eireann and I flatout refuse to travel with IrishRail, especially with the prices they charge. Barcelona to Valencia cost me 50€ for a distance of 400 miles with Renfe. They're trains are luxury compared to what IrishRail provides.

RENFE also have upstairs trains and we don't. :mad:

http://i51.tinypic.com/k0t2ly.jpg

10-09-2011 10:52AM

The-Rigger wrote: »

One the worst websites on the internet, along with Bus Eireann. Well played.

The best part of their website was the route planner, where you input your origin and destination and it brought you up all the times without trawling through dozens of timetables until you found the right one. However for some unknown and idiotic reason, they decided to get rid of it.

It still can be found through Google.

Run_to_da_hills · 10-09-2011 10:59AM

DWCommuter wrote: »

I bet Commuting & Transport really don't want this thread.:D

It would be the same as posting threads on Catholicism in the Christianity forum.

CIE bashing would incure Infractions.

drdeadlift · 10-09-2011 11:11AM

Prop Joe wrote: »

80 Bloody squid for a return Kerry to Dublin are these cants for real ????

P.S Mods move if necessary

I paid 29 Dublin Roslare return,must be someone in ticketing smoking a crackpipe.

drdeadlift · 10-09-2011 11:22AM

The_Minister wrote: »

Online is way cheaper.

Not always,last time i went fishing the online price from Dub to Rosslare was 60 euro the night before.In Connelly station we got return tickets for 29 we were scratching our heads wondering why

Irish Rail

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