Reform of Irish Rail’s fare zones will see ticket prices slashed by almost half for some commuters.
The changes, which come into force today, will see Dublin and surrounding counties divided up into four different zones.
Depending on the zone they live in, some travellers can expect to see ticket prices come down, while others will notice an increase.
Yesterday, a person travelling from Drogheda to Dublin could expect to pay €11.95 for a single ticket if they used a leap card, while today it will only cost them €6.
A new zonal map of Dublin and surrounding counties. Picture by: NTA.
On Newstalk Breakfast, Rail Users Ireland spokesperson Mark Gleeson said it was “good news” for most people.
“Particularly those commuters coming in from the further suburbs and Kildare and Louth, who historically have been overcharged for the distance they’ve travelled,” he said.
“It does also mean a greater degree of flexibility; a passenger comes from Drogheda, can get off at Connolly, they can then get on a Luas and there won’t be an extra charge for the Luas.
“If they get on a bus, there won’t be any extra charge. So, for the majority, it’s certainly a benefit, provided they use a Leap card.”
A Dart train at Connolly Station. Picture by: Alamy.com The reform has been overseen by the National Transport Authority, who were given instructions to make the reforms revenue neutral.
It means that the lower fares paid by some commuters will be offset by higher fares for others.
“A review has been done and many of the fares in Dublin bore no resemblance to the distance they were travelling,” Mr Gleeson said.
“In some cases, passengers were overpaying, in some cases passengers were considered to be underpaying.
“So, in the case of Sallins and Greystones - Greystones is a good distance out from Dublin - they were deemed to be underpaying for the distance they were travelling, so they have seen a slight fare increase.
“Other locations, say Kildare and Drogheda, which were paying up to €11.95 for a single ticket, will now see their come down to €6.
“So, it’s an element of rebalancing; most will be happy [but] there will be odd cases, like in the case of Greystones, there will be people there who will certainly be unhappy.”
In the Programme for Government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael promised to “keep fares low and affordable.”
Main image: A train at Heuston. Picture by: Alamy.com
