Irish Rail's current fare structure and policy is outdated, inconsistent and designed to extract the maximum amount of cash from unsuspecting passengers. Owing to poor information passengers frequently end up paying more for the same journeys than they would if Irish Rail provided full information and proper staff training.
Rail Users Ireland has consistently highlighted the unfair and at times discriminatory fare structures adopted by Irish Rail. In 2008 Rail Users Ireland published a landmark document in Irish transport which for the first time actually described how Irish Rail work out your fare, or more to the point how different parts of Irish Rail charge different fares for the same journey.
This document has gone on to form a source of evidence in the review of Intercity Fares funded by the National Transport Authority and conducted by Booz & Company / MVA Consultancy. This review will result in a major change in the pricing and general structure of rail fares on Intercity journeys. Irish Rail is banned from increasing fares on long distance (70-80 miles or more) journeys until the outcome of this review is implemented. Despite multiple requests Irish Rail will not release a copy of its fares manual to Rail Users Ireland. It must be noted the UK rail fares manual is available to members of the public.
To help you navigate this mess we have provided some help in getting the best deal and also how to claim a refund. If you can't find the answers you need, let us know at @RailUsersIe on twitter or at info@railusers.ie and we will do our best to help you out.
- Book Online
- Getting A Good Deal
- I can't find a 10 euro seat
- Why Are Student Tickets Sometimes More Expensive
- Changes
- Fare Policy
- Common Problems
- Cheapest Fares at Booking Office
Book Online
You can purchase tickets for most intercity services on-line and seat reservations are available on nearly all Dublin Cork/Belfast/Limerick/Galway/Waterford/Westport/Rosslare/Sligo services. Unlike the rest of mainland Europe reservations are not compulsory and approximately 50% of seats are available through the booking system.
To book:
- Go to http://www.irishrail.ie/
- Enter your start and destination stations and travel dates. Note use 'Dublin City Centre' if you need the Bus/Luas* to reach Dublin Heuston or Dublin Connolly
- Your return journey must be within 28 days of today
- Click on Search Reservations for x number of passengers
- Click Go
- You then select the train you want, note, not all trains/routes have reserved seats
- You then can optionally select the exact seat you want from those available
- As a rule of thumb when selecting seats the right end of the coach on the website point towards Dublin, except if you board in Waterford or Thomastown. This applies to all trains with first class, in other cases there is no way of knowing
* Valid on Red Luas line between Heuston and Busaras/Connolly/Georges Dock, 90 Bus City/Heuston and 145 Heuston-City-Leeson Street
Things to watch for, certain ticket types such as family tickets can't be booked online. Bookings can only be made where the starting station has a ticket vending machine to allow you to collect your tickets. If you see a message saying reservations are not possible it is likely that the station has no ticket machine or that the cash fare at the booking office is lower than the normal cash fare.
The website will work in all modern web browsers but may have difficulties with some smartphone devices. Rail Users Ireland receives intermittent reports that website freezes during the booking, if this is the case simply try again. It is important to ensure the page loads fully before you start to select a train/enter text. Click on the buttons, do not simply hit the return key.
Collect tickets from any station (regardless of the one you choose during the booking) with a ticket vending machine or at main stations the booking office will also issue reservation tickets. You must have the booking reference code with you to collect your tickets and you may be asked for some proof of identity. Print a copy of the booking confirmation and bring it with you, you may use this confirmation as a ticket if the ticket machine is broken or station was locked up and you could not collect the ticket.
Getting A Good Deal
- The vast majority of intercity services have seats at 10 euro, this includes peak hour services even on bank holiday weekends
- When the quota is exhausted the fare increases in stages to 15/20/25 euro etc
- DO NOT BOOK TO TRAVEL TODAY If you book on the same day as you are traveling you pay the full standard web fare (roughly half the cash return fare for a single)
- Book at least 4 days in advance to avail of the 10 euro fares
- Do not rely on the euro symbol to determine the total fare as a return fare will be less than the sum of the single fares in many cases. See this example Use the check fare button at the bottom for the total fare.
- Travel off peak, Monday-Thursday and Saturday, try to travel after 9:30am if traveling towards Dublin.
- Remember if you hold an annual ticket issued by Irish Rail/Bus Eireann/Dublin Bus you are entitled to the discounted "Taxsaver Privilege" option
- If you are an O2 customer avail of the 15% discount through the O2 treats scheme
- Pay by Laser or Visa Debit
I can't find a 10 euro seat
The advice is very simple, book ahead and travel off peak. As seats sell the price increases towards that maximum web fare which for a single journey is roughly half the standard return fare and generally considerably less than a single bought at the station. This policy of increasing fares as seats sell is consistent with European norms however Irish Rail seem to increase from the lowest to the highest fare very very quickly. Some European railways require that you book at least 14 days in advance to obtain the lowest fares, but in the Irish Rail case the price is a function directly of seats sold unless you book the same day that you are traveling.
Rail Users Ireland has performed a review and is satisfied that over 90% of scheduled intercity services have some seats at 10 euro, an update shortly will bring 10 euro tickets to the remaining trains. All routes have 10 euro seats including cross border services. Seats at 10 euro do exist on peak hour intercity trains on Friday evenings. The principal concern is that the Irish Rail website does not clearly highlight where the 10 euro fares are which makes it hard to locate a cheap deal unless you are willing to click endlessly. There is an obligation under EU law to show the fares for the cheapest and fastest journeys upfront, Irish Rail current fail to meet this requirement.
In a small number of cases Rail Users Ireland has discovered some inconsistencies in the fares charged and has raised these with Irish Rail
- For Ennis/Limerick - Dublin journeys which require a change at Limerick Junction or Limerick, sometimes the fare quoted by clicking on the euro icon next to a train returns the wrong fare. If you select the train and then click on "check fare" at the bottom of the page the correct lower fare is shown and this is what you pay. You have to do this anyway to continue the booking but you might be put off by the fare you see when you click on the euro symbol.
- 10 euro fares are not currently available between Cork and Limerick. Rail Users Ireland has raised this issue with Irish Rail and expects a resolution. There are already heavily discounted day return fares available on this route from booking offices which are better value in many cases. Irish Rail of course don't publish this anywhere. Again beware of the euro symbol, select the train and use the check fare option. See what the difference looks like (the lowest fare is the fare actually charged).
- A small number of trains do not offer 10 euro seats, this is due to a timetabling issue which Irish Rail has confirmed to Rail Users Ireland will be resolved shortly. There is no pattern to these trains and they generally are not peak hour services.
Changes
Irish Rail does not offer the ability to change a booking after a ticket is issued. You can either cancel and obtain a refund of 80% of the value of the ticket if canceled the day before, or 50% on the day of travel. You must cancel before the departure time. Instructions as to how to cancel a booking are contained in the booking confirmation email.
It is a disgrace that you cannot change a booking even the sometimes less than passenger friendly low fare airlines can manage this, but not Irish Rail.
The rules do allow you to travel on another train on the same day as initial reservation but it must be first endorsed at the booking office. You are likely to pay the difference between the fare you paid and the normal web fare. However Irish Rail refuse to publish the exact rules. You cannot change to a train in which all the seats have been reserved. If you don't follow the rules you could find yourself in hot water with the ticket inspectors.
If hold a Faircard or Student ticket you can travel on any train on the day you booked but obviously without the benefit of a reservation.
Why are Student Tickets Sometimes More Expensive?
Discounted adult tickets are valid only on the train upon which they are booked. Student and Faircard tickets are full price are flexible and can be used on any train on the date printed on the ticket. You are still advised to get the tickets endorsed for the train you are now travelling on.
So if you are a student you have a choice, pay the cheap fare and lose flexibility or pay the full fare and retain the ability to change your plans at no cost.
Fare Policy
Irish Rail is free to change the online fare structure and pricing provided the fares remain less than or equal to the maximum fares approved by the National Transport Authority. Irish Rail's fare system is complex and outdated and does not offer value to passengers making single journeys or journeys which require a change between two routes. Rail Users Ireland has been invited to take part in the review of Intercity Fares funded by the National Transport Authority and conducted by Booz & Company / MVA Consultancy. Some details on the current fare structure and its problems is available here
New System
As of April 25th 2011
- Nearly every train has a quota of 10 euro seats including peak hour services even on Friday
- When the quota is exhausted the fare increases in stages to 15/20/25 euro etc
- If you book on the same day as you are traveling you pay the standard web fare (roughly half the cash return fare for a single)
- If you book ahead you most likely will be able to find a 10 euro seat on the train of your choice
- 10 euro fares are available even on the busiest trains, but obviously will sell out
Old System
From approx 2008-2011
- A fixed price applied to each train this was static and not based on seats sold
- Irish Rail's marketing department set the fare on each train based on a guess of demand with the goal to fill all seats
- Trains known to be quiet had 10 euro fares while busy trains e.g 17:00 Dublin Cork was full price (36 euro)
- No benefit in booking ahead
- Numerous complaints from passengers of being charged full fare on empty trains
- 10 euro fares all but impossible to find on Dublin Kerry and Dublin Belfast routes
- Occasional price cuts on some trains as the date of travel approached causing much frustration if you had already booked
Original System
In 2005 when web booking became available
- A fixed price applied to each train this was static and not based on seats sold
- Single tickets priced as half the equivalent return fare
- No benefit in booking ahead
Common Problems
If you can't find the answers you need, let us know at @RailUsersIe on twitter or at info@railusers.ie
- I want to collect my tickets from a different station
You can collect your tickets from any Irish Rail station which has a ticket vending machine. Full list of stations where collection is possible click here
- The station is locked up or ticket machine is broken and I can't collect my tickets
Provided you have a printout of the booking confirmation you are entitled to travel. If any Irish Rail official refuses you access to the train or attempts to issue a fine or a normal ticket, remain calm and be sure to get the officials name/id number (they must display this) contact Rail Users Ireland and we will make sure you are refunded or get the fine struck out. You should collect the tickets during your journey if your journey requires a change en-route
- My journey required a change and I missed the connection because train was late
In these circumstances continue journey by any reasonable combination of trains. You may be entitled to a refund under Irish Rail's customer charter if the delay reaching your final destination is more than 60 minutes. Find out more here
- My train is cancelled or breaks down en-route and we have to change trains
If for any reason within Irish Rail (or Northern Ireland Railways) control your train is cancelled or breaks down you no longer have been provided with the service you booked and you are entitled to a full refund
- I ended up standing
You are entitled to a full refund if your reservation is not honoured
- I had a first class reservation but there was no first class section on the train
You are entitled to a full refund even if you got a seat in standard class
- I travelled on a different train to the one I booked
You must under the terms and conditions present the ticket at the booking office before travel and pay the surcharge, unless the booking office is closed, then you pay on the train. The surcharge is the difference between the price of the ticket you hold and the normal web fare. So for example if you hold a 10 euro ticket from Dublin to Cork and you decide to change trains you will pay 27 euro as the normal full web fare is 37 euro. Surcharge does not apply to student or faircard tickets (that's why they are sometimes more than the discounted adult price). Above all else make sure your ticket is endorsed for the new train, if it isn't you could be fined 100 euro