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Irish Rail now require you to book a week in advance for some best fares

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  • 21-02-2013 9:32pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 10,690 ✭✭✭✭


    Passengers travling to Cork, Limerick, Ennis and Tralee must now book 7+ days before travel to avail of the cheapest fare. No changes to Galway, Waterford, Sligo, Mayo or Rosslare.

    No fare changes except Cork service cheapest fares are 19.99.

    http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_offers.jsp?i=4577


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 789 ✭✭✭mydiscworld


    http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_offers.jsp?i=4577

    From Monday 25th February, Customers booking Dublin to/from Ennis, Limerick, Cork or Tralee should book 7 or more days in advance to avail of our lowest online fares


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,842 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Would it be news if it was about Ryan Air instead of Irish Rail?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_offers.jsp?i=4577

    From Monday 25th February, Customers booking Dublin to/from Ennis, Limerick, Cork or Tralee should book 7 or more days in advance to avail of our lowest online fares
    That amounts to a rise in the prices for their online tickets. You now pay the 1-2 day rate for up to 6 days advance booking.

    Dont forget to add €1.60 each way for the luas and €3 charges for booking online.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,690 ✭✭✭✭Jamie2k9


    That amounts to a rise in the prices for their online tickets. You now pay the 1-2 day rate for up to 6 days advance booking.

    Its only a rise in online fares if the passengers let that happen, its not rocket science, you would be suprised the level of passengers who still don't bookk 3 + days before departue. Best move IE have done. If IE knew they wouldn't be able to increse revenue from this they would not of changed the fares so its passengers who have caused the changes.

    RUI say booking fees on the way out.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Jamie2k9 wrote: »

    Its only a rise in online fares if the passengers let that happen, its not rocket science, you would be suprised the level of passengers who still don't bookk 3 + days before departue. Best move IE have done. If IE knew they wouldn't be able to increse revenue from this they would not of changed the fares so its passengers who have caused the changes.

    RUI say booking fees on the way out.
    Removing booking and credit card fees should have been done last year or the year before.

    Most people cant book a week in advance because their journey requirements may change or they want to travel at short notice so this is going to cost them a lot more than others will save meaning it is a revenue stream for IE. It just makes the bus alternative a lot more flexible and cheaper for the few passengers still using the cork train.


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  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Not me. I see buses as for short distance travel - I don't even consider them for longer distances unless I have no other option.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,629 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    This will just drive more people onto the coach companies. Good job IR!!

    Much cheaper, much more flexible, just as fast and just as comfortable.

    And Karsini, I'll be heading down to Cork today, I won't even think of taking the train.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,277 ✭✭✭markpb


    Karsini wrote: »
    Not me. I see buses as for short distance travel - I don't even consider them for longer distances unless I have no other option.
    bk wrote: »
    And Karsini, I'll be heading down to Cork today, I won't even think of taking the train.

    I don't mean to take a pot shot at both of you but I really wish this kind of personal preference posting would stop. I know bk won't take the train any more and I know Karsini and others have an allergic reaction to buses but constantly re-stating the same opinion on every thread is getting a little tiring. If you want to soapbox, get a blog. If you want to discuss something, this is the place to do it.

    Then again, this is just my opinion :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,639 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    And a very good one too!


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,489 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    Most people cant book a week in advance because their journey requirements may change or they want to travel at short notice so this is going to cost them a lot more

    provide the slightest shred of evidence for that please!
    if you can book a flight no problem 6 months in advance why should the train be any different?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 24,489 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    markpb wrote: »
    I don't mean to take a pot shot at both of you but I really wish this kind of personal preference posting would stop. I know bk won't take the train any more and I know Karsini and others have an allergic reaction to buses but constantly re-stating the same opinion on every thread is getting a little tiring. If you want to soapbox, get a blog. If you want to discuss something, this is the place to do it.

    Then again, this is just my opinion :)

    why not, there is basically one reason and one reason only to take the train over a bus and that the ability to bring a slab of cans.
    Every other consideration is more or less equal (excluding price of course)


  • Registered Users Posts: 674 ✭✭✭etchyed


    why not, there is basically one reason and one reason only to take the train over a bus and that the ability to bring a slab of cans.
    Every other consideration is more or less equal (excluding price of course)
    Bollocks. You can put it down to slabs of cans, or the ability to get up and walk around, or nostalgia, or for some people, a trainspotterish aspect. But none of those things really clinch it for the train. You're looking at this far too logically. People prefer taking the train. They just do. The fact remains that, all things being equal, most people will choose train over bus/coach. This is not acknowledged enough on this forum.

    Of course, all things aren't equal, and there are now many cases where intercity coach journeys in Ireland are both faster and cheaper than the train. Some people will be logical about it, and take the bus. But there exists a significant group of others who still prefer the experience of taking the train. And you can't dismiss all of them as being trainspotters/drunks/pass holders/whatever you fancy. They just prefer the train. Although I've responded to this, I would tend to agree with markpb that people constantly restating their preferences is getting dull.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,277 ✭✭✭markpb


    etchyed wrote: »
    People prefer taking the train. They just do. The fact remains that, all things being equal, most people will choose train over bus/coach. This is not acknowledged enough on this forum.

    The problem is that people shouldn't expect national transport priorities or budgets to be based on their preferences. If people prefer taking the train to the bus, they're perfectly entitled to take it.

    Where the train fulfils a national or social need, the state should absolutely support and subsidise that. The state should also find ways to encourage development in a way that makes the most of our existing rail network. However, if the same functions can be fulfilled some other way which costs us less, the state absolutely should not pay for Irish Rail to run trains just because people prefer them.

    This is why it bugs me when people post saying they prefer the bus/train/car/etc. Peoples preferences are an awful way to determine national policy.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,118 ✭✭✭Ben D Bus


    markpb wrote: »
    Peoples preferences are an awful way to determine national policy.

    I agree with this in many cases but not exclusively.

    Surely quality of life (which is a popular preference!) should be a very important determinant of national policy. Of course that depends on whether or not you prioritise economy over society.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    provide the slightest shred of evidence for that please!
    if you can book a flight no problem 6 months in advance why should the train be any different?

    The numbers of people who book in advance is evidence enough. If there were more people already booking 7+ days in advance then IE wouldnt be trying to weasle more money out of those who don't have a choice but to book a day or two before travel or even on the day.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    I didn't realise I was causing trouble (and I don't mean that in a sarcastic way) so I'll try to keep out of it from now on.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,629 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    provide the slightest shred of evidence for that please!
    if you can book a flight no problem 6 months in advance why should the train be any different?

    Because there is no alternative with flying, so people accept it.

    For an intercity journey you do have alternatives, just jump in your car any time you want or take a bus for much less money.

    IR really need to get real here, they aren't an airline, they are in a very different market and face much different competitors.

    If IR are to survive, I think they need to become more like the bus companies, not more like the airlines. Follow the way that railways work in the Netherlands:

    - Max fare €20 single, including walk up on the day.
    - No online bookings or seat reservations

    I'm saying this, not to knock IR, but I honestly believe if they continue to operate this way, they will continue to lose costumers and intercity rail may not exist 10 years from now.


  • Registered Users Posts: 674 ✭✭✭etchyed


    markpb wrote: »
    Peoples preferences are an awful way to determine national policy.
    Actually, they aren't, necessarily. There is an extent to which you have to accept that people's preferences play a role in their choice of mode. If you're trying to get people to switch to public transport, you have to be realistic about the extent to which that's possible with buses. Luas is an excellent case in point. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper, with probably the same capacity, if it were BRT. But then would as many people actually use it?

    You can, of course, look at this another way, and try to tackle the image problem that buses have. Doing so is not easy, but might be a better use of money than putting rail/tram tracks absolutely everywhere. And of course, if road user charging were politically feasible, that would be by far the cheapest way of making people stop dismissing buses as an option.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 14,076 Mod ✭✭✭✭monument


    It is a personal preference but people should feel free to post their views, as such views add to the discussion here. Sometimes some posters need to understand that others do have different views, but just posting your view -- without remarks which exclude other views -- is fine.
    Karsini wrote: »
    I didn't realise I was causing trouble (and I don't mean that in a sarcastic way) so I'll try to keep out of it from now on.

    Please feel free to post your view.

    I found it added balance to the view often posted here that nobody is talking the train anymore unless they have free travel / etc


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,629 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    etchyed wrote: »
    Actually, they aren't, necessarily. There is an extent to which you have to accept that people's preferences play a role in their choice of mode. If you're trying to get people to switch to public transport, you have to be realistic about the extent to which that's possible with buses. Luas is an excellent case in point. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper, with probably the same capacity, if it were BRT. But then would as many people actually use it?

    Yes, but another way to look at it, if it costs €60 return to drive Cork to Dublin, which is more likely to get people out of their car. A €20 bus ticket or a €45 to €80 train ticket?

    As I've mentioned before, I've a lot of friends from Cork who live in Dublin. We all use to take the train, then the new motorway opened and most switched to driving down. Since the new bus service started, some (but not all) have switched from driving to the bus. But non have switched back to the train.

    I agree that all things equal, people before rail. But clearly they aren't, rail is expensive to do.

    I agree completely that if we switched the cost of owning a car from heavy up front costs, to more running cost basis, then all forms of public transport would benefit greatly.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,827 ✭✭✭Polar101


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    The numbers of people who book in advance is evidence enough. If there were more people already booking 7+ days in advance then IE wouldnt be trying to weasle more money out of those who don't have a choice but to book a day or two before travel or even on the day.

    A lot of the people traveling don't even know they can book tickets in advance. That's fine, if they want to travel they still can - but it makes sense to accept they don't then necessarily get the best possible deal. If they want cheaper tickets, then they need to figure out the way to get them.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    Polar101 wrote: »
    A lot of the people traveling don't even know they can book tickets in advance. That's fine, if they want to travel they still can - but it makes sense to accept they don't then necessarily get the best possible deal. If they want cheaper tickets, then they need to figure out the way to get them.
    I say this is not the case because everywhere you go in stations and on trains and in all the advertisements people are told quite aggressively from a marketing viewpoint that they can travel for less by booking online!

    Large signs with large text saying "BOOK YOUR TICKET ON-LINE ON irishrail.ie" adorn most railway property.

    Irish rail do more marketing of on-line sales than even bus Éireann.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Well I can assure you all that it's not trainspotter rose-tinting in my case. I decided to have another look, as earlier I was beginning to think "maybe I'm losing the plot here?" But when I checked it, it turns out that rail really is still the best option in my case.

    I'm a semi regular traveller from Dublin to Tralee. I can book this online with Irish Rail for €51.98 return and the journey time is between 4 hours and 4:15. I usually plan the trips well in advance so I wouldn't be leaving my bookings until the last minute anyway.

    If I were to do this via Bus Éireann, it would be €45.12 return (again an online fare) with a journey time of between 5:25 and 6:45. So the price by rail is a little bit higher but the journey time is significantly less and I also feel more comfortable on there. Maybe I'm in the minority of cases where rail is faster than bus, but it works.

    I've had some bad experiences with Bus Éireann in the past decade (some of which, quite literally, left a bad taste in my mouth) so that has probably tarnished my opinions of buses a huge amount.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,827 ✭✭✭Polar101


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    I say this is not the case because everywhere you go in stations and on trains and in all the advertisements people are told quite aggressively from a marketing viewpoint that they can travel for less by booking online!.

    I guess there are people who don't know when they need to travel, then. I don't remember the last time I bought a train ticket without buying it in advance, but perhaps I'm in the minority here. But I've often encountered people on board trains who didn't have a clue you can book seats, which in my opinion means they haven't ever bought an online ticket.


  • Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,629 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    Karsini, that is totally fair enough. Dublin to Tralee is one of the routes that remains a much better option taken by train, no questions there.

    Back when the only options to Cork was a three hour train or a four and a half hour BE bus, then I always took the train, even though it was more expensive.

    But times change, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Belfast (which all make up the majority of intercity journeys) now have bus services that are much cheaper and take more or less the same time as the train.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,027 ✭✭✭H3llR4iser


    One of the defining characteristics, advantages and strong selling point of traveling by train is supposed to be the fact that it can carry a lot of people; Therefore, passengers can decide to travel at the last minute, go to the station, get a ticket and hop on. Irish Rail, for some reason, has consistently decided to turn these potential customers away on their most used services (Dublin-Cork, for one). They will either take the bus or, worse from an environmental point of view, drive their personal car.

    Personal experience: went to Dublin a few weeks ago without a set time to come back to Cork. Took the bus on the way out, but the next day I didn't really feel like sitting another 3 hours in a very cramped space, with the heating set too high and no possibility of getting away from the inevitable group of obnoxiously loud teenagers, so I decided to take the train. Went into Heuston station, approached ticket machine...ticket will be 60 euro please. Turned around, took the Luas and paid 15 Euro for the next Aircoach - and guess what, I was lucky to get there early, the bus filled up and about half the people waiting at the stop had to wait for the next service. This was at 10 am on a Saturday morning.

    I would have paid 20 Euro for the Train; I would probably have paid even 30, but 60 is an absurdity. If I am forced to travel on the ground, I would prefer the train as it's more comfortable than a bus, but it's not worth 4 times the price by any means.

    A rail company can not enforce an airline-style pricing policy since the core nature of the services is completely different, but for some reason this is lost to Irish Rail.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    I'm certainly not going to defend Irish Rail's pricing of walk-on fares, especially the single tickets being the same price as the return.


  • Moderators, Music Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 6,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭LoonyLovegood


    bk wrote: »

    But times change, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Belfast (which all make up the majority of intercity journeys) now have bus services that are much cheaper and take more or less the same time as the train.

    I'm a regular traveller between Galway and Dublin, and always take the train. While the private bus companies may be cheaper, I've had bad experiences. I point blank refuse to travel Bus Eireann, it generally takes between four and five hours for the route, rather than the stated 3:10/3:30.

    I'd rather walk up and buy a ticket and sit in comfort, with plugs and (intermittent) wifi, than sit for hours on an uncomfortable, slow bus.

    (I will acknowledge that I'm lucky that student fares are actually cheaper in the station than online, but if the credit card/reservation charges are dropped I'll be reserving online.


  • Registered Users Posts: 29,037 ✭✭✭✭end of the road


    foggy_lad wrote: »
    the few passengers still using the cork train.
    telling lies again foggy

    ticking a box on a form does not make you of a religion.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 10,690 ✭✭✭✭Jamie2k9


    Karsini wrote: »
    I'm certainly not going to defend Irish Rail's pricing of walk-on fares, especially the single tickets being the same price as the return.

    Irish Rails walk up fares are the same if not a little better than most European rail services. If people in Europe can book in advance then why can't use Irish?


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