Irish Rail - "Weekender" Ticket

fh041205

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Or another way of reducing overcrowding on the peak hours Friday evening trains would be to withdraw student and other discounts along with free travel passes for those overcrowded trains.
If you were cynical you could say that the overcrowding is caused by masses of people travelling paying a reduced or no fare at all.

Most of IR discounted fares are not available on Friday or Sunday anyway. And I think you're incorrect. By far the majority of people travelling on Friday evenings are paying full fare or even student fare. In my experience there are little or no people travelling on Free passes.

And you couldn't pay me to get a bus to Cork over a train. Or probably to anywhere else. I would gladly pay ridiculous prices and stand if I had to, if I could avoid buses. You can of course say its hard to justify the cost, and I would have to agree, but I'll still gladly pay it.

MOH

dereko1969 wrote: »

they're still on the website because people still have valid weekender cards, they're being phased out so as it states here
http://www.irishrail.ie/your_ticket/ticket_types.asp
No new Weekender ID cards will be issued. Customers already in possession of a valid Weekender ID card may purchase this ticket. Valid for outward travel Friday, Saturday or Sunday and for return up to the following Tuesday.

On the link madmoe posted they're still stating that weekender cards are available.

fh041205 wrote: »

What was the reason given for scrapping the weekender card?

Their new super-duper discounted online fares, at times you'll never want to travel.
Had to get a train to Carrick-on-Shannon mondayafternoon, though I'd finally be able to get one of these cheap fares. But apparently leaving Dublin at 15.05 on a Monday is peak time, so no discount for me.

munchkin_utd wrote: »

But, if you book online you have a seat guaranteed all to yourself, so for your 48 Euros you will have a seat.

I don't see the problem. Seat reservations exist so you dont have to stand. Having to stand is your problem, and getting a seat reservation is the solution.

Seat reservations have never worked for me.

And with a seat reservation the old peculiarity of travelling by irish railways of having to turn up 2 hours before the train departure to guarantee a seat is a thing of the past. Jeasus, that messing would nearly drive you to take a bus!

No, but you're supposed to be in your seat at least 30 minutes before departure or your reservation's not guaranteed.

madmoe

Bus with free WiFi all the way!!

KC61

MOH wrote: »

Had to get a train to Carrick-on-Shannon mondayafternoon, though I'd finally be able to get one of these cheap fares. But apparently leaving Dublin at 15.05 on a Monday is peak time, so no discount for me.

The discounted fares are offered on services where loadings are lower to encourage people to use them and increase load factor.

Generally trains from 1500 to 1900 from Dublin tend to have reasonable to higher loadings on any day Monday-Friday and as such unfortunately will be priced at the normal levels. Even so, on some routes some services within this timeframe can still have special web fares that are still lower than the booking office fare.

serfboard

KC61 wrote: »

The discounted fares are offered on services where loadings are lower to encourage people to use them and increase load factor.

Yes but ...

munchkin_utd wrote: »

Or another way of reducing overcrowding on the peak hours Friday evening trains would be to withdraw student and other discounts along with free travel passes for those overcrowded trains.
If you were cynical you could say that the overcrowding is caused by masses of people travelling paying a reduced or no fare at all.

I totally agree with this suggestion. On the one hand, you can have an online reduction - but only for off-peak journeys. On the other hand, you can have an offline reduction for peak journeys. Makes no sense.

The other thing about seat reservations. Since we're new to this concept in this country some people pass no heed on it. So imagine this scenario:

You've booked your seat on a peak-time train. You get to the train and there's some oul' dear sitting in your seat. You say "Excuse me, that's my seat", but by this stage the train is full. What are you going to do? Make her stand the whole way?

KC61

The free travel pass is out of Iarnrod Eireann's control - that is a government policy decision!

madmoe

serfboard wrote: »

Yes but ...

I totally agree with this suggestion. On the one hand, you can have an online reduction - but only for off-peak journeys. On the other hand, you can have an offline reduction for peak journeys. Makes no sense.

The other thing about seat reservations. Since we're new to this concept in this country some people pass no heed on it. So imagine this scenario:

You've booked your seat on a peak-time train. You get to the train and there's some oul' dear sitting in your seat. You say "Excuse me, that's my seat", but by this stage the train is full. What are you going to do? Make her stand the whole way?

Very well said!

serfboard

KC61 wrote: »

The free travel pass is out of Iarnrod Eireann's control - that is a government policy decision!

Yes, but you can keep the travel pass, and have restrictions on it. I know that in the UK it (used to be) the case that the travel pass is not valid at peak times (certainly not before 9:30 anyway - not sure if there's an evening restriction).

And their travel pass isn't nationwide, either. You can only go X miles for free - the rest you have to pay for.

Given our current situation, the same should apply here.

stop

serfboard wrote: »

Yes but ...



I totally agree with this suggestion. On the one hand, you can have an online reduction - but only for off-peak journeys. On the other hand, you can have an offline reduction for peak journeys. Makes no sense.

The other thing about seat reservations. Since we're new to this concept in this country some people pass no heed on it. So imagine this scenario:

You've booked your seat on a peak-time train. You get to the train and there's some oul' dear sitting in your seat. You say "Excuse me, that's my seat", but by this stage the train is full. What are you going to do? Make her stand the whole way?

I would direct her to one of the seats reserved for the Elderly/Disabled.

fh041205

MOH wrote: »

On the link madmoe posted they're still stating that weekender cards are available.


Seat reservations have never worked for me.

Maybe put on your glasses and read it again MOH! Seat reservations do work, i assure you.

sefboard, there are no discounted fares available on Fridays (apart from student tickets which are always available).

KC61

serfboard wrote: »

Yes, but you can keep the travel pass, and have restrictions on it. I know that in the UK it (used to be) the case that the travel pass is not valid at peak times (certainly not before 9:30 anyway - not sure if there's an evening restriction).

And their travel pass isn't nationwide, either. You can only go X miles for free - the rest you have to pay for.

Given our current situation, the same should apply here.

The Irish government dictate when the pass can and cannot be used - not the transport companies, and it was the government who decided that there would be no restrictions.

KC61

fh041205 wrote: »

Maybe put on your glasses and read it again MOH! Seat reservations do work, i assure you.

Unfortunately they are not always programmed into the onboard computer and it can be very hit and miss especially on some trains going towards Heuston.

fh041205 wrote: »

sefboard, there are no discounted fares available on Fridays (apart from student tickets which are always available).

Eh, where are you getting this from?

EUR 10 fares are available on Fridays on:

Dublin to Cork 21.00

Cork to Dublin 05.05/ 11.30/ 20.30

Dublin to Waterford 07.30/ 09.30

Waterford to Dublin 13.15/ 15.00/ 18.25

Limerick to Dublin 05.35/ 11.55/ 19.50

Dublin to Limerick 09.25/ 11.25/ 21.00

Ennis to Dublin 10.05/ 18.45

Dublin to Tralee 11.00

Tralee to Dublin 19.15

Dublin to Galway 07.10/ 09.10

Westport to Dublin 18.05

Dublin to Belfast 13.20/ 20.45

Belfast to Dublin 06.50/ 08.00/ 10.30

Dublin to Sligo 09.05/ 11.05

serfboard

fh041205 wrote: »

sefboard, there are no discounted fares available on Fridays (apart from student tickets which are always available).

I know. I was echoing the other posters point who said that student discounts and free travel should not apply on Friday peak-times. I agree. This would then bring down the price for everybody else - and get more revenue in.

KC61 wrote: »

The Irish government dictate when the pass can and cannot be used - not the transport companies, and it was the government who decided that there would be no restrictions.

The government giveth ... and the government taketh ...

I didn't think that it was the transport companies who decided it. Considering all that the government will be taking in the budget, this change would hardly be noticed ...

fh041205

Ah yes I had forgotten the 10e fare. I meant from booking offices KC61. Those are online fares only aren't they?

serfboard, how would scrapping student tickets on Fri and Sun save money? Firstly, its extremely unfair and will drive students to the buses. They usually travel because they have to, so will still need to get places on those days. IR would certainly end up losing money over it. Secondly, students/free passes account for a severe minority of peak time travellers in my experience.

MOH

fh041205 wrote: »

Maybe put on your glasses and read it again MOH! Seat reservations do work, i assure you.

I don't really call getting on the train with seat numbers printed on my tickets to find no seats reserved, and then being lied to by the ticket checker, a "working" system, but maybe you have a different definition to me.

fh041205

MOH wrote: »

I don't really call getting on the train with seat numbers printed on my tickets to find no seats reserved, and then being lied to by the ticket checker, a "working" system, but maybe you have a different definition to me.

I agree. Yet you are guaranteed a seat. If someone sits in it they will have to move. The reservation system works. The electronic displays however......

Btw just want to point out that I do actually think it is ridiculous that the displays don't work.

Fairdues

You can also get an annual pass if it's worth your while .

MOH

fh041205 wrote: »

I agree. Yet you are guaranteed a seat. If someone sits in it they will have to move. The reservation system works. The electronic displays however......

Btw just want to point out that I do actually think it is ridiculous that the displays don't work.

The whole problem is, they don't have to move. There's nothing indicating to them that I've got the seat reserved, apart from taking my word for it. If they refuse to move, there's nothing I can do about it. And there's usually no IE staff around to do anything about it.

munchkin_utd

Heres the terms and conditions of reservations on Irish Rail services.

no mention of anything along the line that a reservation is only valid when digital display at a seat says so

it clearly states that once you are at the (terminal) station 20 min in advance, you can claim your seat on the train that you have reserved without problems. And for in between stations you just claim your seat on time.

and again, no mention there of the necessity of the reservation to be present at the seat in question.

Which is no different to the continent.
The display at the seat is an aide to show which seats are reserved and which arent but in itself doesnt make valid or void the reservation itself.
As clear as day underlined in the conditions below, the reservation is the piece of paper that the passenger has (i.e. not the display at the seat).

Reservations of seats on trains.
43.1 Iarnród Éireann (in addition to its rights by common law, statute, contract or otherwise) reserves the right to assign to passengers the seats, which they are to occupy.
43.2 A passenger shall not occupy a seat reserved for or assigned by Iarnród Éireann to another passenger.
43.3 Reserved seat tickets are issued subject to the conditions and regulations applicable to the passenger ticket to which the reserved seat ticket relates and to the special conditions, that Iarnród Éireann is not deemed to undertake to provide particular seats in the appropriate class, or any seats, and failure to do so will impose no liability upon Iarnród Éireann other than to refund the reservation fee paid.
43.4 Reserved seat tickets are valid only on production of the passenger tickets covering the journey and must be shown to and given up as required to Iarnród Éireann’s employees or agents.
43.5 Reserved seats must be claimed prior to the advertised departure time of the train.
43.6 Passengers at terminal stations who wish to claim their reserved seats must be available for boarding at least twenty minutes prior to the advertised departure time of the train.

Base

There's nothing indicating to them that I've got the seat reserved, apart from taking my word for it

Showing your ticket might help.

fh041205

Aye, you have a reservation that says what seat you've booked and on what service. The seats are numbered so their should be no way anyone can argue with you.