Irish Rail

RHJ · 10-09-2011 11:34AM

This post has been deleted.

Run_to_da_hills · 10-09-2011 11:45AM

RHJ wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

FS Italia uses hydro electric power to run the vast majority of their trains, which is basically free electricity. Ireland on the other hand depends on diesel which is quite costly.

If you want to know about expensive trains go to the UK, It is cheaper to get a return from Dublin to London via Sail/ Rail than it is to get a return from Manchester to London.

Stinicker · 10-09-2011 01:49PM

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

RHJ wrote: »

I agree with all the posters on here that say Irish rail prices are too high. Last week I was in Italy and travelled from Pisa to Florence on one of their InterCity double-decker trains. The total cost for this was €6.

The week before that me and eight members of my family went from Pisa to a small town whose name I can't remember but what about two hours away by train. The total cost of the 8 of us whose tickets was bought at the station was €40.

So can somebody please explain to me why train fares in this country are so expensive?

FS Italia uses hydro electric power to run the vast majority of their trains, which is basically free electricity. Ireland on the other hand depends on diesel which is quite costly.

If you want to know about expensive trains go to the UK, It is cheaper to get a return from Dublin to London via Sail/ Rail than it is to get a return from Manchester to London.

Its not fuel prices that are responsible as i pointed out earlier.

Jam · 10-09-2011 02:45PM

What boggles my mind is that I have never seen freight rail. I went to school beside the Wicklow line, and college beside the Galway line, and I don't think I've ever seen freight. Surely it should be cheaper to train a container from Dublin port to Galway, than to truck it?

Run_to_da_hills · 10-09-2011 04:15PM

CIE killed off Fast Track, which was once a good little earner for themselves that could have helped subsidise pax traffic.

Unfortunitally the 22,000 series DMU would have the minimum space for it if it was to be reintroduced again.

Sky King · 10-09-2011 04:22PM

Jam wrote: »

Surely it should be cheaper to train a container from Dublin port to Galway, than to truck it?

Logistically rail freight in Ireland is only really good for extremely high volume goods with extremely stable demand which you can set up an infrastructure around... They used to transport ammonia made from the natural gas off Kinsale by rail... and I think the irish sugar beet crowd used to do it too.

But like if you're a bed importer and you;re delivering beds around ireland on the rail network you'd be a bit of a handicap not to use a van or truck.

Son Of A Vidic · 10-09-2011 04:32PM

Andrewh1984 wrote: »

That's the price culchies have to pay to experience civilisation.

Which of course you won't find in Dublin.

nitromaster · 10-09-2011 04:41PM

Deleted User wrote: »

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.

For bus eireann? it's top left of the main site....

coolperson05 · 10-09-2011 04:47PM

Go to England for train prices! you'll fly back onto Irish Rail

Resi12 · 10-09-2011 08:10PM

Just booked a flight to Liverpool + 2 nights accommodation for 50 euro.

If I was to go to Dublin, I'd be looking at 80 quid. Joke!

charlemont · 10-09-2011 08:14PM

Nederlands Spoorwegen would sh*t on IE any day of the week.

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup · 10-09-2011 08:25PM

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?

Wat? This is the craziest thing I've read on AH in a while.
Who decides how much a 'liveable wage' is?

OneArt · 10-09-2011 09:06PM

My main gripe about the trains, apart from prices, is that there isn't really much of a network.

squod · 10-09-2011 09:11PM

georgiecasey wrote: »

Wat? This is the craziest thing I've read on AH in a while.
Who decides how much a 'liveable wage' is?

Ah now. Disagree. Some utopian solution would be great if all could benefit from it. Can't see it happening here though.

Solnskaya · 10-09-2011 10:41PM

Heres an Irish Rail question. If the starter motor in your car went bad, would you just leave it running, Like for weeks on end??? Just so you would avoid replacing the starter motor? thats CIE's solution to older diesel locos that are hard to start. just leave em running. They burn a LOT of diesel, and you, the punter, are paying for it. BTW, this is not a madey-uppey scenario, it's a reality. How feckin mad is that???

Run_to_da_hills · 10-09-2011 10:57PM

charlemont wrote: »

Nederlands Spoorwegen would sh*t on IE any day of the week.

And a standard NS stoptraen is equivilant of an IR Intercity.

I mentioned this before,

My brother approached the counter at Heuston station back in the days when CIE were still pulling Cravens, He asked how much a return was to Cork, your one behind the counter said £36. My brother replied, "Mam I only want a ticket, I don't want to buy the fcuking train".

kerry4sam · 11-09-2011 01:42AM

Deleted User wrote: »

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.

It is on the website, just moved and more awkward to find if in a hurry looking for info for someone: timetables/more info link => city/town services and => journey planner. It was better showing link on main page though.

back on topic: irish rail to Dublin, only okay if you've hours to waste. Flights or driving far far easier & cheaper though at times the flights' time doesn't really suit.

Rock & Hard-place if going from Kerry to Dublin at last minute!

:pac:

nitromaster · 11-09-2011 03:13AM

kerry4sam wrote: »

It is on the website, just moved and more awkward to find if in a hurry looking for info for someone: timetables/more info link => city/town services and => journey planner. It was better showing link on main page though.
:pac:

Is that not the same as the big "Search timetables. Plan your travel on Bus Eireann's integrated network" orange box on the top left of http://www.buseireann.ie/ ?

Just wondering am i missing something....

Victor · 11-09-2011 04:19AM

cocoshovel wrote: »

Isnt it cheaper to fly?

Well, not many air routes left - the only routes within Ireland (including Northern Ireland) appear to be:

Dublin-Donegal (1 return flight per day, Aer Arann)
Dublin-Kerry (1 return flight per day, Ryanair)
Dublin-Cork (1 return flight per day, Ryanair)
Galway-Waterford (1 return flight per day, Aer Arann)
Aran Islands-Connemara (approxiamtely 5 return flights per day, Aer Arann Islands)

Stinicker wrote: »

Most cars will do the journey on less fuel and in the same amount of time.

Assuming you have a car and want to drive for that length of time.

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.

Average car occupancy is 1.25, although I imagine it might be higher for the social and personal trip at the weekend on longer trips.

Stinicker wrote: »

Train prices should be set properly, they are not an airline and have a monopoly on their service.

While they have a railway monopoly, they are competing with other transport modes.

Stinicker wrote: »

Its a train not a plane, travelling tomorrow should not make it more expensive than booking in three weeks time.

Why?

If there is high demand there should be extra trains laid on to cope with demand, its public transport remember.

More and/or longer trains tend to be in place at peak times. However, having trains/crew hanging around willy nilly costs money. You wouldn't want them to waste even more money.

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.

Service has improved some what. Dublin-Kerry used to have 3-4 direct return services per day. It now has only 1 direct return services per day, but also has 7 services connecting at Mallow.

Mike 1972 · 11-09-2011 10:49AM

Solnskaya wrote: »

Heres an Irish Rail question. If the starter motor in your car went bad, would you just leave it running, Like for weeks on end??? Just so you would avoid replacing the starter motor? thats CIE's solution to older diesel locos that are hard to start. just leave em running. They burn a LOT of diesel, and you, the punter, are paying for it.

And theres people who insist we should abandon driving on environmental grounds :rolleyes:

Run_to_da_hills · 11-09-2011 11:21AM

Solnskaya wrote: »

Heres an Irish Rail question. If the starter motor in your car went bad, would you just leave it running, Like for weeks on end??? Just so you would avoid replacing the starter motor? thats CIE's solution to older diesel locos that are hard to start. just leave em running. They burn a LOT of diesel, and you, the punter, are paying for it. BTW, this is not a madey-uppey scenario, it's a reality. How feckin mad is that???

There is nothing like the sound of a GM 141 / 71 ticking over all night. I knew someone that complained about this when living near East Wall. I would move into an area like that.

In their day, the A's which were also notorious for starting problems sounded even better.

Phill Ewinn · 11-09-2011 11:27AM

There's still no run off areas for noisy idling trains like there should be. The plans for the new statiion in navan have ended the tracks oiutside and appartment block. Mad fvckers CIE.

Wait for complains, then apply for planning again to change the run off areas.

12-09-2011 12:19AM

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

In their day, the A's which were also notorious for starting problems sounded even better.

I uploaded this one specifically for ya.

Not much video but plenty of sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd1Fg_yyYs0

PseudoFamous · 12-09-2011 12:51AM

saywhatyousee wrote: »

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

I disagree entirely.
I live in Arklow, which happens to be one of the country's main commuter runs. The trains often smell terrible (There was a used condom sitting on a table on one train, clearly nothing done about it), the seats on the new intercity trains seem to be made of cardboard on concrete, and there are currently 7 trains in each direction a day on the line.
The train often takes 1:40+ to get to Dublin city centre, a journey of 80km. Oneway, the price of a ticket is about €14. There is no reduction for booking in advance. We can't avail of the €10 fares thing, as we're not far enough from Dublin to warrant it, but just 3 stops before us, and you can avail of being in the shorthop zone, and get from Dublin to Kilcoole on €4. They haven't bothered to Doubletrack it, in 150 years of service.

It's not as if this is some isolated tracking, this is one of the country's most important commuter lines, and a quick tote gives a population of about 120000 between Bray and Wexford along it.

They will not improve the line for many years. It actually had more trains on it 60 years ago than it does today. Trains now take longer than they did in the 70s. The price of a ticket keeps rising. Money is being shovelled into other pits like the WRC, and nothing is being done to actually tap the potential of this line.

Irish Rail are full of their own horseshit, and that's why I knock them

upandcumming · 12-09-2011 01:14AM

I've been getting the train to and from Connolly on the Sligo line for over three years and I can safely safe the trains have been on time 20% or less of the time. Why?
Why are the trains always late? Why are most lines still without Wi-Fi? I've really gotten sick of this idea of paying through the nose for this shit service. Its pure fucking shit and always has been.

Ciaranpm · 12-09-2011 11:15PM

mmm let me see the fare structure is crap also

Greystones - Bray Return = €4.40

Greystones to Pearse Single = €4.40

Seems like a right rip off No?

Victor · 13-09-2011 02:34AM

Ciaranpm wrote: »

mmm let me see the fare structure is crap also

Greystones - Bray Return = €4.40

Greystones to Pearse Single = €4.40

Seems like a right rip off No?

Greystones-Balbriggan single = €4.40

PseudoFamous · 13-09-2011 02:50AM

Ciaranpm wrote: »

mmm let me see the fare structure is crap also

Greystones - Bray Return = €4.40

Greystones to Pearse Single = €4.40

Seems like a right rip off No?

If you were going to make a point of a skewed fare structure, you should have used Kilcoole.

Kilcoole to Balbriggan is about 65km, and will cost €4.40
Kilcoole to Gorey is about 55km, and will cost €17.50

You need two trains to get to Balbriggan, but just one to get to Gorey.

Buceph · 13-09-2011 02:51AM

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

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

The newer ones are much better for people in a wheelchair. Previously there was two spots in the dining carriage. I've often seen four or five people squeezed in there, bumping up against each other and basically treated like cattle (cattle in movable chairs anyway.) Also there was no way for someone in a wheelchair to go for a piss for three plus hours. The new ones have accessible bathrooms, there's two spots in each carriage for wheelchair passengers and there's chairs for people travelling with the disabled passengers so they're not alone for the entire journey.

However, yes, they are much rougher but the disabled guy I know will put up with that for the other comforts available.

OneArt wrote: »

My main gripe about the trains, apart from prices, is that there isn't really much of a network.

There's been talk about a western rail network for years. It never came to anything though, which is ridiculous. If you want to go from Cork/Kerry/Limerick to Galway by train* you have a three hour trip to Dublin then all the way back over to Galway with another three hours journey.

And hasn't the Aircoach had free wifi for the past two or three years?

*something some people have no choice in if they need to travel, mainly elderly and disabled.

13-09-2011 05:55PM

Buceph wrote: »

There's been talk about a western rail network for years. It never came to anything though, which is ridiculous. If you want to go from Cork/Kerry/Limerick to Galway by train* you have a three hour trip to Dublin then all the way back over to Galway with another three hours journey.

It never came to anything as it wasn't viable. Even the new section from Ennis to Galway has performed worse than expected. Still, I don't think we've heard the last of West on Track.

Irish Rail

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