Adult return to Dublin 34.50 v 27.00
 

Got to the train station this morning and went to get a ticket out of the machines. Not only is the credit/debit card facility not working but there's no option for the €27 day return so I ask the guy just standing around 'doing his job' he says smirking away oh sure you won't get a day return today, we can't sell them on fridays, you have to buy the more expensive monthly return ticket for 34.50. So if I had shown up at the station with only enough money for the day return ticket I wouldn't have been able to get to work today. There are no signs up in the station and I have never heard of that scam before. So anyway I had to buy the monthly return ticket, put in my money and get my ticket out and lo and behold it's only a single. Thinking it would be a simple enough thing to rectify I say to a different guy (probably the rudest person that works in the station) can you change that for me, no, not a hope, sure you've bought a single ticket blah blah blah, I ended up getting more annoyed and he says i'll write something on the ticket on the train.

This is absolutely ridiculous. All from the same useless company that can't even get the train to leave on time or arrive on time. We've been 10-15 minutes late into hueston every morning this week and have also been 5 minutes late getting home most evenings. Yet, they still think it's okay to scam an extra 8.50 out of their customers just because it's friday.

Single/Day Return fare Mon-Thurs + Sat = 27.00
Single/Monthly Return fare Fri/Sun = 34.50

Waterford fares are discounted compared to the actual permitted level, Irish Rail could charge over 45 euro for a single and still be within the government approved fare level.

Nothing unusual, fares online reflect this as well if no discount is available

Yeah, it's a real bargain.

The monthly return fare from Cork to Dublin is over 70 quid and it's not all that much further (260km v 170km). In comparison it is a real bargain!

Em, i'm not travelling from cork to dublin.

I am not one to defend Irish Rail too often, but it is normal behaviour to vary the prices at times of peak demand. Try getting a 10 euro single flight on Ryanair on a walk-up fare on Christmas eve. It isn't going to happen.

That restriction goes back at least 5 or 6 years if not a lot further. It is a question of demand management. They need to manage the demand on a Friday evening so the day return isn't available to get the price-sensitive day-trippers travelling Monday - Thursday.

No hourly service ex Waterford. IE fares (screwed up as they often are) take service level into account. Waterford is been getting more lately and thus fares may start rising if they increase it further.