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UK Boardsie with questions about the Irish Rail System

  • 29-04-2016 3:45pm
    #1
    qwerty54321
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭


    Hi,

    I live in the UK, I am hoping to understand somethings about the Irish Rail Network.

    " BREAK OF JOURNEY "

    In all countries there is generally the system of " On The Day " ticket and cheaper pre-booked " Advance Ticket ".

    In the UK, we have something called " Break Of Journey "

    UK " Walk Up / On The Day / For Immediate Travel " Ticket - Lets say I pitch up at a London station and I buy a long distance ticket, say from London to Liverpool. Although the timetable might state the trip takes 3 hours, I could start my journey in London at 10 AM and spend the entire day making the journey, getting off at intermediate towns along the way such as Watford, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Stafford, ask the inspector that I want to get out for a while, and spend an hour in each town. When I come back to the station I show my ticket to Liverpool to the inspector and tell him I am on my way to Liverpool and I stopped off in the town for lunch or to buy something. He will let me through. I eventually arrive in Liverpool at 10 PM. This is allowed. It's called " Break of Journey ". As long as I stick to my direct route, going in the correct direction, there is no problem getting off at intermediate stops.

    " Advance Ticket " - Breaking your journey is not allowed on an " Advance Ticket ". Generally you are confined to taking a specific timed train from City A to City B. If in the timetable, the train departs at 10.30 and arrives at 12.30, then that is what you do, no getting off at any other station ( you can even be charged the "On the Day" fare if you try).

    ( Yes, with our fragmented, privatised system of separate companies, there would be variations and exceptions to the above, but that is the general picture. )

    I understand that in Ireland, there is no such thing as permitted " Break Of Journey ". If I bought an " Walk Up / On The Day / Immediate " ticket, say from Dublin to Cork or Dublin to Sligo, technically once I am on the train I have to stay on it and complete a continuous, unbroken journey ?

    Is this correct ?

    Of course, in the UK, we have electronic barriers, CCTV, guards and police at all the major stations, so any rules that need to be followed are hard to break. But In Ireland, I could get off a train and get off in a town without having to deal with an gate, barrier or inspector.

    So if " Break Of Journey " is not recognised, despite this if I bought an " On The Day " ticket on a long distance route, say Dublin to Cork / Galway / Sligo, could I do what I do here, which is start my journey in the morning, and take it leisurely, stopping along the way to have a look at the towns I pass through ? Would I encounter any officiousness or be collared to buy extra tickets ?

    I am presuming the Belfast Link might be more officious ?


    " RANGER / ROVER TICKETS "

    These are tickets which are designed not for point to point travel, but for travel in any direction and allowed to get on and off at any stop, on a particular line or a network of lines within a certain area over a certain time period. The best known would be a " London One Day Travelcard " which allows an unlimited 1 day of travel in the London region for £12, but around the country there are tickets, that would allow the purchaser for 1 day or 3 days to explore an area with a rail network like South Wales or East Scotland by taking any train in any direction getting on and off trains as they please. Or alternatively, a point to point line. For example the line which goes from Bedford to Brighton is simply a straight line, rather than a network, but you can buy a ticket for one day to to ride it up and down in either direction and get off and on as you please.

    Do ranger or rover tickets exist in Ireland ?


    Thanks Guys !


Comments

  • #2
    wench
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,655 ✭✭✭wench


    It is basically the same here.

    http://www.irishrail.ie/media/conditionsoftravel1.pdf
    8. Break of journey
    8.1
    Except as may be specified in the publications and notices of and applicable
    to Iarnród Éireann, the holder of an single ticket may break his or her journey
    at intermediate stations on any route for which the ticket is valid within the
    period of validity of the ticket.
    8.2
    Except as may be specified in the publications and notices of and applicable
    to Iarnród Éireann, the holder of an return ticket may break his or her journey
    at intermediate stations on any route for which the ticket is valid, provided the
    journey is completed within the same calendar day, except where the
    timetable does not permit, in which latter case the journey must be
    completed on the next available service.

    The exceptions are prebooked tickets, and tickets on the suburban lines in Dublin & Cork.


  • #3
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    There's a Train and Rail systems subforum of this C&T which might have better answers.


  • #4
    VG31
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,505 ✭✭✭VG31


    Carawaystick wrote: »
    There's a Train and Rail systems subforum of this C&T which might have better answers.

    That's more of a train enthusiast forum.

    From the charter: "This is also a place to discuss rail industry matters that are non-consumer, non-(hard)infrastructure type topics, e.g. "Trailing or facing points" "Which signalling system is best? and "How should stopping and express services be interspersed?"


  • #5
    qwerty54321
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭qwerty54321


    Wow, thanks guys !

    So, I can buy an " On The Day " ticket to say Sligo on a morning, and spend all day making the journey, by stopping for a few hours at stations along the way for a look around ( admittedly I appreciate that it is different there as there are only something like the same train going up and down 4 times a day, so I would have to be very careful with time ) as long as I arrive in Sligo on the same day.

    Thanks !


  • #6
    qwerty54321
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭qwerty54321


    wench wrote: »
    It is basically the same here.

    The exceptions are prebooked tickets, and tickets on the suburban lines in Dublin & Cork.

    Thanks so much.

    Last question.

    Would these regulations apply on the Belfast - Dublin train ?

    Could I buy a ticket and take a day to do the journey, stopping off at a few towns on the way ?

    Has anyone on here done it ?


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  • #7
    Vic_08
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,066 ✭✭✭Vic_08


    qwerty54321 wrote: »
    Hi,



    Do ranger or rover tickets exist in Ireland ?

    There are 2 all network tickets, a 4 day consecutive at €110 and a 5 day in 15 for €160

    http://www.irishrail.ie/fares-and-tickets/tickets-explained#type-tourist

    For the Dublin area a Leap card is the best option, it caps at €10 daily for Rail+Tram+Bus or €9.20 Rail only.

    A visitor Leap card is also available for €10 1 day, €19.50 3 days or €40 7 days. Unlike the standard leap day cap the City-Airport express 747 bus is included in this fare.

    If travelling in Northern Ireland a one day unlimited travel pass loaded onto a zone 4 (all of NI) iLink smartcard costs £16.50 and covers all NI Rail, Ulsterbus and Metro (Belfast city bus). Other zones are available covering smaller areas but the cards aren't interchangeable so you need to have the correct card for the zone you want to buy. http://www.translink.co.uk

    Also worth considering is that there are a number of bus routes linking lines that can be useful if you don't want to have to double back a considerable way by rail. Galway Westport, Westport-Ballina-Sligo, Sligo-Derry in particular. http://www.buseireann.ie/


  • #8
    qwerty54321
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭qwerty54321


    Thanks guys for all the great help.

    Last question, I think ...

    In the UK, generally, an Off Peak on the day return is only 10p more than the single. Peak fare would often be the same in each diretion.

    I get the impression that in Ireland a return is basically the same price in either direction regardless of whether it is peak or off peak ?

    Also, in the UK, you can buy an off peak open return, which gives you 30 days to use the return.

    Now ... if you happen to make a return trip, and no guard or gate validates it, it means to all intents and purposes it has never been used ( innocent face ... )

    So, if I had to make another journey to the same place in the same 30 days, especially I went outwards peak, I could buy a single, or use a coach, then use my un-used ( wink, wink ) ticket for my return

    Not that I would dream of getting by on the cheap ...


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