Why are Train Prices so High?

dundalkfc10

Why are Train Prices so high in Ireland?

Dundalk to Dublin day return is 29.80 :eek:

The UK (Which is meant to have very dear train costs)

A Day Return from Manchester to Liverpool (same distance as Dundalk to Dublin) is £9.20

VinLieger

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Why are Train Prices so high in Ireland?

Dundalk to Dublin day return is 29.80 :eek:

The UK (Which is meant to have very dear train costs)

A Day Return from Manchester to Liverpool (same distance as Dundalk to Dublin) is £9.20

Because they are subsidising loss making routes all over the country

pauliebdub

It's a combination of the cost of running g the trains in relation to the number of passengers and low government subsidies compared to other countries like Germany for instance

keeponhurling

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

A Day Return from Manchester to Liverpool (same distance as Dundalk to Dublin) is £9.20

That sounds extremely cheap, that's hardly the normal fare is it ?

suicide_circus

VinLieger wrote: »

Because they are subsidising loss making routes all over the country

Add to this poor pplanning, over paid legacy staff, the recession
..

The Backwards Man

€100k+ salaries don't pay themselves you know.

Its Only Ray Parlour

The price of train tickets is only high if you're travelling from Dublin to Dundalk. They do this to deter tourists away from the slums of Dundalk.

Banjo String

Trains are expensive vehicles to build I imagine.

Them bullet trains in Japan for example. Some engineering going on with one of them bad boys.

SkyBlueClouds

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Why are Train Prices so high in Ireland?

Dundalk to Dublin day return is 29.80 :eek:

The UK (Which is meant to have very dear train costs)

A Day Return from Manchester to Liverpool (same distance as Dundalk to Dublin) is £9.20

Train fares in the UK are usually only that price if you book way in advance. As an example, London to Norwich on the day is about £50 one way for a 2 hr journey!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Why are Train Prices so high in Ireland?

Dundalk to Dublin day return is 29.80 :eek:

The UK (Which is meant to have very dear train costs)

A Day Return from Manchester to Liverpool (same distance as Dundalk to Dublin) is £9.20

Return Liverpool to Manchester tomorrow is £19.20 (€24.50) with trainline who maintain that includes 43% discount. Anytime I took the train in the UK it was close to prices here and sometimes more expensive.

kbell

Jude Chilly Custard wrote: »

Return Liverpool to Manchester tomorrow is £19.20 (€24.50) with trainline who maintain that includes 43% discount. Anytime I took the train in the UK it was close to prices here and sometimes more expensive.

Yup, leeds -> manchester Piccadilly was around £13 one way last time took it.

dundalkfc10

When you are in Liverpool Lime Street on the day, its £9.20 Return to Manchester

keith16

Not only are trains expensive, but the entire process is....stressful.

Those big "see you in court" posters when you walk into the station...is that any way to greet customers?

Then, they are frequently late and there is only point point of entry and / exit which is horrible at busier stations. Not to mention all the confusion about how to buy tickets if the machine is broke and no-one is on the desk.

The staff look like they want to spit at you if you even think about approaching them, and if you reserve a seat, someone is probably sitting there.

Overcrowding, poor design, a lack of integration and joined up thinking all characterise rail travel in Ireland

Poulgorm

Our population is too small to justify intercity trains

mfergus

Did you ever buy a train?
They're expensive.

Macavity.

Very cheap compared to most other European countries.

Egginacup

keeponhurling wrote: »

That sounds extremely cheap, that's hardly the normal fare is it ?

I went from Warrington to Liverpool Lime St. I think it was only about a fiver.
Amsterdam to Dusseldorf return is usually about 50 Euros return.

candytog

The same reason why everything is so expensive in Ireland.

People paid too much money for doing too little work.

OneArt

pauliebdub wrote: »

It's a combination of the cost of running g the trains in relation to the number of passengers and low government subsidies compared to other countries like Germany for instance

Trains cost a pretty penny in Germany too unless you've got a monthly ticket (which can still be pricey, but it saves money if you use it a lot). Essen and Dusseldorf are less than forty km apart and it's 20 euro return. Deutsche Bahn aren't even a public company anymore, though you still have to suffer the rudeness of public service.

Trains in general are just expensive.

hfallada

Maybe because ireland has the population of a medium sized European city and we don't have the scale to run a cheap railway. I don't understand why Irish people have an obsession with trains. Most people in Europe use buses are they amazing value and more frequent. Plus there is no stopping in every little village which adds to journey time

Tail Docker

Pffft. It isn't cheap leaving the Locos running all day and all night in sidings because the starter motors are broken - that diesel is pricey..someone has to pay for it. Be like the average Joe discovering their engine won't restart if turned off and going -"Right Mavis, we'll leave it running permanently so..."

titan18

hfallada wrote: »

Maybe because ireland has the population of a medium sized European city and we don't have the scale to run a cheap railway. I don't understand why Irish people have an obsession with trains. Most people in Europe use buses are they amazing value and more frequent. Plus there is no stopping in every little village which adds to journey time

Well, the buses here are worse. At least, trains seem to stick to a schedule here.

If the buses were good, that'd be great, but they aren't

PizzamanIRL

Travel free with me. I have a companion pass which allows one person to travel with me free. Get on the train now!

rossie1977

i would imagine alot has to do with the huge payroll irish rail have.

still cheaper here than switzerland though. normal fare from brig to zermatt (about an hour on the train) costs 37 swiss francs one-way roughly €30.60

candytog

hfallada wrote: »

Maybe because ireland has the population of a medium sized European city and we don't have the scale to run a cheap railway. I don't understand why Irish people have an obsession with trains. Most people in Europe use buses are they amazing value and more frequent. Plus there is no stopping in every little village which adds to journey time

Train = tea, leg room, personal space, toilets
Bus = warm orange, leg cramps, fat man beside you, holding your bladder, and the drunk at the back

TrustedApple

What confuses me is when i get the train from where i am living now to home.

€8.60 for a single or €8.60 for a return . Considering its about a 1 hour and 10 mins on the train and 60 or so KM its not that bad

To make it worse they run no trains on a Sunday from home !!!!

Donkey Oaty

PizzamanIRL wrote: »

Travel free with me. I have a companion pass which allows one person to travel with me free. Get on the train now!

Sounds like a good deal, as long as there are no bottom-wiping duties involved.

Richard tea

Silly old OP. Go get yourself a free travel pass

thomasm

Reading to Gatwick cost me £58 one way recently, about a 80 min journey... defo not cheap

mikemac1

Did Heuston to Wesport for 41 euro day return yesterday

Seat reservation online and collecting my ticket was painless, my name over my seat, staff were sound, wifi & could charge my phone and it was waaaaaaay faster then Bus Eireann

Twas A1 Sharon, can't fault Irish Rail at all

PizzamanIRL

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

Sounds like a good deal, as long as there are no bottom-wiping duties involved.

No but you have to sit with me or near me for when the ticket man comes. So yeah you're probably better off paying for your own ticket.

Berserker

Got the Dart from Pearse to Seapoint the other week and I was shocked that it was €5.75 return. They person selling the tickets, who was very rude, didn't have any 5 cent pieces, so he decided to leave me short and when I queried it, he told me that there was nothing he could do. The Dart was late as well of course. Needless to say, I'll stick to the car in future. Quicker, cheaper and you don't have to deal with Irish rail staff.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

When you are in Liverpool Lime Street on the day, its £9.20 Return to Manchester

And Dublin Dundalk is down to €20 if you buy at the right time on the right day.

Amirani

UK train prices are considerably more expensive, particularly in the South East.

suicide_circus

You're also subsidising the absolutely staggering amount of people with a free travel pass. Same as you subsidise the staggering amount of people with a medical card when you visit the gp.

Berserker

thomasm wrote: »

Reading to Gatwick cost me £58 one way recently, about a 80 min journey... defo not cheap

How? Where did you buy that? What route did you take? What that off peak? I go through Paddington and it costs me in or about £15 and it takes just over an hour. Alternatively, there is a bus which goes from outside Reading bus station, direct to Heathrow which costs about that same return. Journey time is 50 mins.

keith16

rossie1977 wrote: »

i would imagine alot has to do with the huge payroll irish rail have.

still cheaper here than switzerland though. normal fare from brig to zermatt (about an hour on the train) costs 37 swiss francs one-way roughly €30.60

Half that if you pay for the yearly half price card which is a no-brainer.

Plus train travel in Switzerland is superb. The train-stations are in the centre of the towns and cities and there are numerous entry / exit points and no barriers.

No ticket? Pay the more expensive option on the train - no messing around with fines and court cases.

Plus they punctuality and reliability is second to none. Trains also connect with the airports - unbelievable.

Berserker

suicide_circus wrote: »

You're also subsidising the absolutely staggering amount of people with a free travel pass. Same as you subsidise the staggering amount of people with a medical card when you visit the gp.

Hardly scientific I know but I checked this last year when I had to get the bus for a few weeks. On all journeys, there were more people with passes than paying customers. Crazy and unsustainable. Perfectly healthy OAPs can bring a minder with them.

Amirani

Berserker wrote: »

How? Where did you buy that? What route did you take? What that off peak? I go through Paddington and it costs me in or about £15 and it takes just over an hour. Alternatively, there is a bus which goes from outside Reading bus station, direct to Heathrow which costs about that same return.

Reading to Paddington is the most expensive train journey of its distance in Europe.

Over 4,000 Gbp for a yearly ticket.

Berserker

Diego Simeone wrote: »

Reading to Paddington is the most expensive train journey of its distance in Europe.

Over 4,000 Gbp for a yearly ticket.

Wow, that is incredible.

keith16 wrote: »

Trains also connect with the airports - unbelievable.

A pet hate of mine here and no solution in sight. It is so badly needed in Dublin. Switzerland is public transport heaven.

CrazyRabbit

Walking is pretty cheap. Or are you willing to pay for the privilege of not having to do that?

Chancer3001

Staff get paid a ridiculous amount and do ridiculously little .

I used to be one of those staff.

It's also next to impossible to be fired for doing a crap job

looking_around

titan18 wrote: »

Well, the buses here are worse. At least, trains seem to stick to a schedule here.

If the buses were good, that'd be great, but they aren't

Not only do they not stick to the schedule well,

In some areas. (buttevant for example.) The bus getting here at certain times will be full, and you're told, "sorry, wait for the next one."
This next one, may or may not be full. ...............
The rare time, the stations will send out 2 buses, but that's only, if they had more than a bus full of passengers waiting in the station. So 52+ passengers, they'll send a second bus.
If there's 50...they won't even consider the stops the bus will have to make, sure it'll be grand, tis just pensioners nobody relying on it.
>.>

Donkey Oaty

PizzamanIRL wrote: »

No but you have to sit with me or near me for when the ticket man comes. So yeah you're probably better off paying for your own ticket.

Steady on, Kiddo - we're negotiating here.

Now, am I right in thinking that you will have some sort of a say in the time, date and destination?

c_man

They do seem awful expensive. But then again, they also take longer than comparable buses (on the routes I'm interested in, mainly Galway - Limerick and Galway - Dublin) so I don't see any reason to take one.

Chancer3001

COS YA GET A TABLE!!!!!!

c_man

Chancer3001 wrote: »

COS YA GET A TABLE!!!!!!

I've been on express bus services to Dublin that have tables! I fuking hate them :pac:

Capt'n Midnight

When you take in the costs of fuel and the cost of the trains themselves, then trains are insanely expensive compared to flying, especially when you remove taxes and airport charges.

So to answer the original question, in Europe rich people travel by trains, when the plebs queue up at airports.

Victor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_areas_in_the_United_Kingdom
Manchester metropolitan area 2,556,000
Liverpool/Birkenhead metropolitan area 2,241,000

Meanwhile, Dublin is about a million and Dundalk is about 40,000. So Dundalk has similar overhead, but much lower usage.

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Dundalk to Dublin day return is 29.80 :eek:

There are different options.

Ticket Type E Per person, per trip*
Adult Single €23.40 €23.40
Adult Off-Peak Single (Note 1) €16.80 €16.80
Adult Day Return €29.80 €14.90
Adult Off-Peak Day Return (Note 1) €18.10 €9.05
Adult Open Return €33.10 €16.55
Adult Weekly €88.00 €8.80
Adult Monthly €315.00 €7.50
Student Single €14.40 €14.40
Student Return €18.00 €9.00
Student Weekly (Note 2) €74.00 €7.40
Student Monthly (Note 2) €237.00 €5.64
Family Day Return €41.50 €3.46
Family Open Return €65.00 €5.42

* Assuming 10 trips per week or 21 per month. Monthly and annual tickets can avail of Taxsaver, which can reduce prices by 52%.

keith16 wrote: »

Not to mention all the confusion about how to buy tickets if the machine is broke and no-one is on the desk.

You must buy your ticket at the first available oppurtunity.

end of the road

VinLieger wrote: »

Because they are subsidising loss making routes all over the country

aka, most of the network. the UK is the same, however they realize that its better to keep their network, subsidize it and invest in it. unlike here where its used as a political tool

Chinasea

suicide_circus wrote: »

Add to this poor pplanning, over paid legacy staff, the recession
..

Plus the riducles OAP and disability plus companion concessionary passes. They should be contributing something at least.