I’m on the train to Cork. The ticket cost €62 return, purchased two weeks in advance. It would be cheaper for me to drive down in my little car. This is what is wrong with public transport in this country. It should always be cheaper to take public transport.
— Suzanne (@Dublin_Suzy) June 21, 2019
In fairness.
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Bus?
+1
Aircoach is super quick and comfortable, and costs about €20 return.
About 15 years ago I got a flight from Dublin to Cork because it was cheaper than the train
True I did the same!
so €31 each way.
Car journey each way will be nearly a full tank of petrol, probably less for a diesel.
cost of a full tank of petrol/diesel (45 litres being the average size)
petrol per ltr €1.48 = €66
diesel per ltr €1.34 = €60
and you’ll have to actually, you know, drive.
@Robert, not if you car-jack you don’t
Recently drove from Cork to Dublin and back in a Nissan Quashqai (fairly average car). Used about half a tank (30-40 Euro)
Plus tolls? of which there are two each way. And parking when you get there?
petrol? if yes that’s good going
Car seats 5 people and takes you to your exact destination.
Indeed; but this economy only applies when you have 5 people that want to go at the same time.
One way ticket prices are never half of a return price.
I’m pretty sure you have to buy two one-way tickets, scottser.
Train is much more pleasant – nothing worse than driving in heavy traffic and rain and having to pay tolls every frickin 50 km.
But…unless you are travelling to and from somewhere that is served by frequent public transport, the car is far handier and cheaper. Suppose you want to nip out to visit your friends in Clon after you get to Cork, then you’re having such craic there you stay late, but still need to be back in Cóbh for last pints with the da? Only a car will give you that freedom.
Hopefully, we’ll all have shared, electric, self-driving cars soon, travelling safely at a uniform speed. Then we’ll feel like total eejits for cutting down all those trees to build wider bus corridors… just saying…
Sure, in those circumstances, you’re right.
Yes, but say you fancy having a drink when you get there? And if you are visiting another city, the car can become an albatross – having to pay for parking, deciding whether to go ahead and have a drink and pick the car up the next day, trying to work out what time in the day you would need to wait until, etc.
Train *MAY* be more pleasant. It certainly wasnt for me last weekend, cork to dublin had a family of travellers on. The parents started drinking immediately and the kids were encouraged to run wild (feral imo). It was not something I’ll forget in a hurry
We gotta increase / put more tolls in so.
Thanks for the tip Suzanne!
+€1
I’ve always wondered why it’s so expensive.
At the same time €62 return for about 520km round trip is €0.12 per km.
Return Dart from Blackrock to Pearse works out at €0.34 per km.
“I’ve always wondered why it’s so expensive.”
– unions
no irish government has ever taken climate change seriously. the current lot are pretending to, for popularity, and as an excuse for more taxes. when enda kenny was taoiseach he was asked about being more environmentally friendly and he said we have more important issues to deal with first .. and then went about dealing with neither. but my point is they didnt care then, now, and won’t until there’s lakes of fire and buildings tumbling down around them.
What? When we were borrowing €26,000,000,000 to keep the country going?
And now the books are balanced? And you call that nothing? Wow. Just. Wow.
Fair point – public transport should be promoted as more appealing, and one way to do that is with cost.
But some elements of travelling may be important to you, and moreso than cost alone. I travelled to Cork and back by road recently and it cost me €53.80 for fuel and tolls. There’s an added cost of wear and tear on my car which is hard to quantify. But I was in my own space and I could start my journey when I wanted, listen to a podcast without earplugs and stop along the route if I wanted. I also had a bulky item in the boot and a small piece of luggage and a laptop in the boot. Costs do not rise at peak times, only traffic jams do and therefore my time. You pick up a bit of location knowledge along the way.
The train is less tiring, great if you have a seat, free WiFi and ideal for working, studying, reading. You can be unlucky and end up in a carriage with a loud party – or beside an individual with poor hygiene. But I am being environmentally responsible. Luggage is an absolute pain on public transport. Costs vary depending on when you travel and how flexible the ticket you purchased. I’ve just looked at tickets for Friday fortnight and I can get down to Cork and back for €39.98 + about €25 in taxi fares either side. So off-peak is the way to go with public transport.
I’d still take the car. Probably down to it being taxed and insured and existing in the first place.
Plus due to reasons unknown there appears to be a lot more nutters taking the train nowadays too.
The last time I took the train, one such nutter kept invading my space by rubbing his leg against mine. He insisted on talking to me even though I was trying to read, then asked if he could read my book when I put it down to take a phone call. I calmly asked him to keep his leg to himself and when he persisted with the frottage, I gathered my bits and bobs and left for a different carriage. There was no Ianrod Eireann person in evidence or I would have reported him.
Wear and tear minimal
Arrive in cork and you’re still a couple of miles from CC.
I loled at your free WiFi comment. It’s complete rubbish and totally unsecured. Wouldn’t touch it. As well off using your smartphone connection as it’s far faster and more secure.
Having your car gives you options. Train leaves you with none and higher costs.
Irish Rail (and Dublin Bus) are under the impression that you can run public transport infrastructure at a profit.
Precisely this. I don’t think they understand that profit isn’t actually the point of a public transport system.
I don’t think either of those entities has ever posted a profit, so I don’t really get what you mean.
Maybe or maybe not but they certainly keep trying
this.
Is it really better for environment? If half empty heavy, diesel-powered tank like this drives up and down the country 6 times a day every day? Vs a car of 1-2 people, when needed? Asking for a friend.
” a car of 1-2 people, when needed”
Let’s take the Mark IV running from Heuston to Cork
‘Typically formed into 8-carriage trains, consisting of 5 standard class vehicles, a buffet carriage, “City Gold” first class carriage and control vehicle; seating 422 passengers’
Say it’s exactly half full, that’s 211, at 2 people per car that’s 105 and one half cars driving down to Cork every day. Vs. one train.
All those people will probably need a taxi or bus if terminating in cork.
Times not convenient for everyone.
Train is a nightmare with kids.
Jacks are in a state every time Ive used it.
People smoking on that train frequently.
Dealing with yobs and hooligans.
People putting their shoes on the seats.
People playing movies on their laptops tablets or phones without earphones.
I could go on. Gave up on train after a few journeys.
Sure, it might be less convenient for people. but it is definitely more environmentally friendly.
Is it? How much diesel does this massive 8-carriage train burns? on average, not just sailing at top speed, I’m talking taking off from train station every 10 minutes.
What bugs me the most is that they NEVER switch off the train engines when waiting at a station for their departure time (in Dublin anyway). The big diesel engine is just left to pump out those fumes for us to breathe in while waiting.
Funny thing is that they don’t shut down the engines at night either. Was in Sligo (a couple of years ago – Railway hotel I think) and there were rail engines going all night.
Seemingly if they turn them off the oil settles and it’s too difficult to start them. Wouldn’t have that with an electric one though.
So effing drive then rather than posting about it.
^ Comment of the day.
It’s hardly a secret that Irish Rail are useless.
I wonder what Dinnytalk gets out of having their WaffleSpinner in chief, Barry Kenny, on regularly to do an impression of a mammal.
That’s a weird one alright
Appreciate he is doing a job but he’s one smarmy gonkball. Apparently refuses to “talk to Joe”
I’ve been doing Dublin Cork return most Sundays since late last year
1.6 Diesel – Averaging about € 55 in daysel
4 tolls €1.9+€ 2.9+€1.9+€ 2.9
plus wear and tear mileage attrition on the clock
Lets just say 65 yoyos a trip
one speeding fine too mind
If I didn’t need the car on arrival
(take the Dad shopping, lunch, visiting etc)
I’d be on the train
even for that kinda money
5 – 6 hours driving in one day is tiring and draining, especially when you’ve a weeks work behind you and another week ahead
And tbf; the trains now are fairly decent and comfy; a far cry from when I first moved to Dublin
I used to do the opposite run in the 90s – living in Cork, travelling home to Dublin. The trains were shabby and basically pubs on tracks. I’d be well oiled with coffees with nips from smuggled naggin of Jemmy. Often a sing-song. Later I started getting the milk train back – left Heuston at 5am on a Monday – not a sinner on it and a lovely sleep. I defo like the luxury of my car – I’ve served my time on trains and buses.
TBF tho’ Spag
there were some great trips then
I remember getting the last train out of Heuston on the 23rd of December – musta been around 94/95
I think it used to be at 21.40
anyway there was only myself and a few regulars
and a crew of Oil Riggers just off a shift of about 6 weeks
So the porters put us all into the catering / bar carriage
The State of us coming into the Blackpool tunnel
Stinking we were
CIE lads n’ all
I think we all ended up in Handlebars
’cause I’m beginning to recall Larry Thompkins was there too
He owned that place at the time
Anyway those riggers didn’t let us put our hands in our pockets once
The sing song was epic
And tbf, the Langers were going through a bad patch at the time for get-togethers and come-all-yas
So we made the most of it
I recall being on the Sunday 20th August ’95 train back to Cork after Dublin bate them in the semi final. Not a whisper from the Cork lads…gutted doesn’t even come close.
Was at that match actually
First visit to the upper tier of the new Cusack
Jaysus lads were nearly fainting
between the climb up
and the look down
Vertigo n’ what have ya
They’d no stomach for the sangwiches even before kick off that day Spag
Those were the days
When you could be well oiled on the train and have a sing song
Or the oul’ Mail Train
Could go to Sweat on a Thursday night
and be back in Dublin by 6am
Plenty time for a Tipperary shower, change of drawers and a bowl of porridge before work
+1
I did a number of long trips in the car recently as well
Mind you you might have to get taxis from station
Luas has that sorted for me
seriously tho
If I didn’t need the car there
I’d leave it at home and get the train
even if it was a 100 yoyos return
I used to do the opposite run Frillzer, in the 90s – living in Cork, travelling home to Dublin. The trains were shabby and basically pubs on tracks. I’d be well oiled with coffees with nips from smuggled naggin of Jemmy. Often a sing-song. Later I started getting the milk train back – left Heuston at 5am on a Monday – not a sinner on it and a lovely sleep. I defo like the luxury of my car – I’ve served my time on trains and buses.
I was the same as yourself from 1990. Although I had a company car from uncle Arthur at the time, I always enjoyed the odd train trip back to dubilin.
Here Frlllser, Larry had a bar across from Kent Station, after moving down from Lavitt’s Quay sometime around ’92…
He’s still the only Wicklowman to win an All Ireland as far as I know?
Yeah ‘Handlebars’
That’s the pub opposite the gates
Can’t remember the real name
But that’s what we always knew it as
Something to do with a previous owner’s moustache afair anyway
Mentioned an opportunistic sesh there above
Larry’s from Wickla now is he
Jesus he got around dint he
I paid €66 for a train from Munich to Prague, 5.45 hours in mid summer.
For 5 people. Public transport in Ireland is too expensive. It’s cheaper for us to drive and park in Dublin city centre than to take public transport.
This is by design. Our transport policy for decades has been to promote car use over public transport. Expensive train tickets are indicative of this.
Always go for the BUS on main routes as it’s a lot faster and more comfortable than you might think.
I know it’ll be a long time before I’ll ever waste my time again with the train even if someone else was covering the bill…
Alternatively, sign up for a GOCAR.ie, if you have access nearby and preferably get an electric vehicle on a 24hr/daily rate or some special offer with low mileage charge etc.
-You may soon find yourself ditching your car completely and saving a small fortune and piece of mind losing all the various other hassles associated with it too. Otherwise rent a budget car from the Airport or just thumb a lift from someone like the old days..
Failing those just change your plans.. anything to avoid oirish rail. It’s been such an absolute joke and a rip-off for so many years, it’s not mildly laughable, worth getting angry about or even really thinking about anymore if you can avoid it. Nothing at all, my mind goes blank trying to imagine it.
Corrupt neo-liberal economic theory, faulty pseudo-capitalist privatisation ideology and greedy global corporate financial profits “for shareholders first before the public good” ideology and policies are the cause of the broken system.
It will not change under the VENAL F’n-f/g coalition for the rich supported by the stupid and it’s willfully ignorant victims.
Only a completely dilusional eejit would put the blame on the workers or their unions in any of the neglected public service infrastructure crumbling around you.
DO YOU REMEMBER???
IT WAS THE BANKERS…. THE F-ING GREEDY BANKSTERS AND THEIR POXY VENAL POLITICAL CLASS PROTECTING THEM WHILE MILKING IT ALL FOR THEMSELVES WHILE YOU PAY FOR IT !!!!
MARKET CRASH?? BANK COLLAPSE??.. BAILOUT??.. QUANTATIVE EASING ???…
SOCIALISM FOR THE RICH AND CAPITALISM FOR THE POOR??…
Ahh nevermind, go back to sleepwalking and have a good week, nothing to see here, as you were etc…..
:-J