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Confusion about Leap Card use

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  • 21-06-2019 12:30pm
    #1
    GaelnahEireann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭


    Hi,

    No matter how hard I look it seems to be impossible to find any coherent information on this, otherwise I'm just missing something. So I decided to come here.

    So, is it possible for me to use a leap card (or student leap card) on an Irish Rail train from Kildare Town to Dublin Heuston, or alternitively, from Newbridge to Dublin Connolly?
    Also, would it be possible to use it on the return journey from Dublin to either of these towns?

    Or are these towns outside the 'range' of the leap card? I'm genuinely confused regarding this because any actual maps or explanation of the 'zones' seem to be non-existent. I'd appreciate any clear explanation if possible.

    The reason I'm asking is because I'm considering going to Trinity College and, as you might expect, aren't a fan of spending €125 every week on trains which are always late and crammed with people.

    Thanks
    Seán


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    #2
    wench
    Registered Users Posts: 1,630 ✭✭✭wench


    http://www.irishrail.ie/contact-us/faqs?i=194
    http://www.irishrail.ie/rail-fares-and-tickets/dart-and-short-hop-zone

    Sallins & Naas is the furthest it is valid on that line


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    #3
    Stephen15
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭Stephen15


    You'll need a student Leap card as student ID to be able to avail of student fares but you'll still need to buy a student ticket as Kildare is outside of the short hop zone in which Leap is valid in as a means of payment for a journey. You'd probably be cheaper to single student tickets everyday than buy a weekly adult.

    Edit: buying a student return ticket everyday between Kildare and Dublin would work out at €82 a week


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    #4
    zapper55
    Registered Users Posts: 684 ✭✭✭zapper55


    As someone else mentioned, Salmond had is the furthest. Could you just buy a ticket from their to newbridge return and use the leap for the monthly ticket?


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    #5
    XPS_Zero
    Registered Users Posts: 910 ✭✭✭XPS_Zero


    This seems like a lot of money to be hitting a first year college student up for? Can anyone tell me (I can't remember myself) what % off you get the student ticket these days?


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    #6
    etchyed
    Registered Users Posts: 674 ✭✭✭etchyed


    I haven't posted here regularly in years but I dip in every now and then to see what's happening in transport.

    I'm a bit shocked that the OP hasn't got a helpful response yet - maybe this forum is quieter than it used to be. Admittedly Irish Rail's website is piss-poor on this.

    A Student Monthly ticket from Heuston to Kildare is €194. See here:
    http://www.irishrail.ie/rail-fares-and-tickets/dublin-limerick-ennis

    You can expect this to increase a bit in December every year, so I'd factor that into your estimates. I would also enquire with Irish Rail (at a ticket office if possible to get an immediate response) about how much extra it would cost to have your ticket issued to Tara Street or Pearse, as I can't find this info on the Irish Rail site. I would guess that this will be cheaper than switching to bus or Luas from Heuston to Trinity every day (student monthly for Luas would be €47) but it is a more circuitous route taking the train, and you will need to change trains if starting your journey at Kildare. Sometimes there is a good change available, sometimes not, see timetable here:
    http://www.irishrail.ie/media/16_dublin-portlaoise.pdf

    A Student Monthly from Newbridge is cheaper at €178 and there are direct trains to Tara Street/Pearse for Trinity, but again you will need to enquire whether that's a few extra quid.

    I imagine the monthly ticket route would be the best way to go, but bear in mind you will probably get stung slightly for more expensive tickets at the end of term as your term dates including exams won't be a round number of months.


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    #7
    XPS_Zero
    Registered Users Posts: 910 ✭✭✭XPS_Zero


    Maybe if were thinking (long term) about free transport at point of use (which we can't do ATM because of capacity issues since they won't ****ing FINISH T21) this group should be getting it first, and we could phase it in like were going with medical cards by age.


    It seems very steep for a student fare, I know most are from upper middle class backgrounds but even then. Manchester is going free for 16-18 as part of their new plan we should consider the same here, and get rid of the student contribution charge while were at it. This is the first generation to be economically worse off than their parents, so at least giving them a bigger discount (say 50-60%) would be a good start.


    FYI don't take a chance, they DO fine you for going outside the SHZ from Heuston, they did it to me once.


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    #8
    maxsmum
    Registered Users Posts: 521 ✭✭✭maxsmum


    I had a student Luas card a few years ago and there was a weekly cap, so I couldn't spend more than I think 20 quid a week on the bus, for example, no matter how many times I travelled. Probably worth checking that out too.


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    #9
    Hilly Bill
    Registered Users Posts: 6,039 ✭✭✭Hilly Bill


    GaelnahEireann wrote: »
    Hi,

    No matter how hard I look it seems to be impossible to find any coherent information on this, otherwise I'm just missing something. So I decided to come here.

    So, is it possible for me to use a leap card (or student leap card) on an Irish Rail train from Kildare Town to Dublin Heuston, or alternitively, from Newbridge to Dublin Connolly?
    Also, would it be possible to use it on the return journey from Dublin to either of these towns?

    Or are these towns outside the 'range' of the leap card? I'm genuinely confused regarding this because any actual maps or explanation of the 'zones' seem to be non-existent. I'd appreciate any clear explanation if possible.

    The reason I'm asking is because I'm considering going to Trinity College and, as you might expect, aren't a fan of spending €125 every week on trains which are always late and crammed with people.

    Thanks
    Seán

    You can use your student card to purchase student tickets. You can also add credit onto it to use as a reqular leap card within the leap card zone which starts at sallins.


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    #10
    Hilly Bill
    Registered Users Posts: 6,039 ✭✭✭Hilly Bill


    XPS_Zero wrote: »
    Maybe if were thinking (long term) about free transport at point of use (which we can't do ATM because of capacity issues since they won't ****ing FINISH T21) this group should be getting it first, and we could phase it in like were going with medical cards by age.


    It seems very steep for a student fare, I know most are from upper middle class backgrounds but even then. Manchester is going free for 16-18 as part of their new plan we should consider the same here, and get rid of the student contribution charge while were at it. This is the first generation to be economically worse off than their parents, so at least giving them a bigger discount (say 50-60%) would be a good start.


    FYI don't take a chance, they DO fine you for going outside the SHZ from Heuston, they did it to me once.
    They can get a 16 to 19 child leap card.


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