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Dundalk Railway Station

Ppads writes:

“A monthly train ticket from Dundalk to Dublin is a staggering €315. If you are unfortunate enough to also need to drive a car to the station, that will be another €100 thanks. Total of €415 and you’ll be lucky to get a seat on the enterprise. Rip off Ireland is alive and well, courtesy of Irish Rail.”

FIGHT!

Irish Rail Dublin-Belfast Fares (IrishRail)

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45 thoughts on “How Much?

  1. Iarnrod Eireann

    Hi, just to clarify a few points and correct an inaccuracy in this post.

    Firstly, the monthly parking fee is €30, not €100. Furthermore, we are currently running an offer for annual ticket holders for parking for a year for €180, equivalent to €15 a month (offer ends 31st Oct).

    The monthly commuter ticket is €315. As a previous poster has mentioned, the Taxsaver scheme gives full tax relief on the cost of monthly and annual commuter tickets through participating employers – the annual ticket is €3150, i.e. 12 months for the price of 10.

    So €3150 a year for two journeys a day typically (weekends, holidays and public holidays excluded) in and around 220 days a year. That’s 440 journeys at €7.16 each for an 87km journey. If you have taxsaver at the 20% tax rate (plus PRSI/USC) that becomes €4.94 per journey for 87kms. At the higher tax rate, it reduces to €3.44 per journey for an 87km journey.

    For comparison, London to Newbury (85kms) is STG£4,440 per annum, or €5,609 at today’s exchange rate. That’s €12.74 a journey, no tax relief, and STG£113 (€142.78) a month parking.

    Hope this is of help.

    1. Clampers Outside!

      Dublin ain’t London though is it. And neither are the salaries… so why compare to London?

      Dublin salaries – http://www.payscale.com/research/IE/Location=Dublin-Dublin/Salary
      London salaries – http://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Location=London-England%3A-London/Salary

      Add to that that Dublin workers enter the highest tax bracket at what €35k (ish) and in the UK you don’t enter the highest tax bracket until you earn above £120k (ish)…. big difference there Mr/Mrs Iarnroid Eireann.

      Your comparisons to the UK need to take into ALL factors…. not just simply distance.

      Thanks

      1. Colm

        Except the major flaw in your argument is that, if people in Ireland enter the higher tax bracket at a lower income, it means more people can avail of the full rate of tax relief on the train ticket which makes it very good value.

        You’ve also picked very selective facts there. From 1st January, our top income tax rate is 40%. In the UK, 40% income tax is their middle band which kicks in at £32,000, or about €40,000.

        (Yes, I know USC and PRSI are another form of tax blah blah)

  2. Dorsh User

    Why the massive difference in ticket prices from Greystones to the city V Bray to the city? They are 5km apart and part of the Dublin area rapid transport network.

  3. Iarnrod Eireann

    Just realised I made an error there, should have been 230 days or 460 journeys. So €6.85 per journey before tax relief, €4.73 at lower tax relief, €3.29 at higher; and our Newbury commuter is only paying €12.19 a journey as a result.

  4. Dhaughton99

    It’s costs €6.10 return from Dublin City to Clondalkin, a distance of 6 miles on the smelly bus so your doing alright.

  5. Colin

    Metro is Beijing is 2 yuan (or 26c) no matter how far you go. If you don’t mind being suffocated and / or pushed in what only can be described as a 200 person front row of a scrum.

    Now that’s value!

  6. Rob_G

    Off-topic, but that is quite a picturesque train station (I initially thought that this was going to be one of the ‘Sure where would you get it?’ posts)

          1. The Old Boy

            It’s considered one of the best preserved Victorian stations in Ireland. There’s a lovely (and mercifully warm) little museum in a platform waiting room. Well worth a look if you happen be using the Station.

  7. LiamZero

    Don’t mind all these clever clogses with their fancy mathematics, Ppads. I know exactly how you feel.
    For example, after my parents stopped funding my life when I got my first job, everything suddenly became really expensive. It was just so unfair! All these years later, I’m still being expected to pay for things like my own transport and rent and food. Why should I have to?

  8. 15 cents

    trains have ALWAYS been far far too expensive. never understood it. pity, coz its the comfiest way to travel. but crazy dear.

  9. pissedasanewt

    I still think its a win for Irish rail here. Imagine bringing correct stats to an argument on broadsheet, its border-line cheating. Nice train station though…

    It would be great if Irish water could pile into some of these discussions with stats proving how great value water will be.

  10. The Old Boy

    Top tip: there is free parking nearby in the public car park in front of the former Harp Lager Brewery and free on-street parking a short walk away on the Ardee Road along the side wall of the Grammar School.

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