Oireachtas committee calls for more affordable train fares

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said the all-island perspective will allow consideration of the potential for high- or higher-speed rail between the island's major cities. Photo: Larry Cummins

The high cost of rail travel often makes travelling between cities more expensive than car or bus travel for families in particular, an Oireachtas Committee has said.

In its submission to the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications said that the “overall pricing model for rail tickets should be reviewed … with a view to encouraging more people to make a modal shift”.

Currently on the Irish Rail website, a return ticket for two adults and two children from Cork to Dublin next weekend costs a total of €147.96 at the lowest fare option. Many services had already sold out on their lowest fare tickets, with the next highest options resulting in fares approaching €180 for the same trip.

The Oireachtas Transport Committee said changes are needed to make rail travel more attractive to a larger section of the population. “Rail travel needs to be affordable, convenient and safe,” it said.

It called for a concentration on increasing the frequency of services and routes served — especially in areas of high population or locations that could accommodate increased populations and residential development.

“The committee notes that on many intercity routes the last train of the day departs between the hours of 9pm and 10pm,” it said. “A change to incorporate late-night operations on these routes should be considered in order to make them more convenient for passengers.” 

It also calls for continued engagement and co-operation with the gardaí to improve reaction time to personal safety incidents on the rail network.

Limerick to Ballybrophy

Looking at specific routes, it pinpointed the potential for the Limerick to Ballybrophy rail line as both a commuter service and as a route for freight from Shannon Foynes Port.

It said the current line is “under-utilised” and has the potential to increase regional connectivity and foster economic activity in the region.

“The committee recommends that the Department re-asses the demand for services on this line,” it said.

“The committee also recommends reviewing the existing timetables and investing in the necessary upgrades to tracks, speed limits, level crossings, and potential new stops in order to make this route attractive to commuters travelling from Tipperary into Limerick city.” 

Decarbonisation

The committee also welcomed the commitment from both sides of the border to upgrade the Dublin-Belfast Enterprise route. The potential for routes between Derry to Belfast, Dublin and Cork was also highlighted, it said.

The committee said there was “enormous scope” for rail to foster economic activity while contributing to decarbonisation. It called for investment to accelerate electrifying and otherwise decarbonising the national rail fleet.

The committee concluded that the All-Island rail review is “an opportunity for [the] rail network to be reimagined and to fulfil its potential”. It added it is hopeful its views are taken on board as part of the process.

The consultation process for the All Island Strategic Rail Review has ended with more than 7,000 responses. Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said this was a “very large response by comparison with responses to similar public engagements”.

"I believe this is the first time such a review has been conducted on an all-island basis,” Mr Ryan recently told the Dáil. “As such, it will consider the potential of rail from a different perspective than reviews of the past.

“This all-island perspective will allow us to consider afresh issues such as rail connectivity to the northwest, in addition to the potential for high- or higher-speed rail between the island's major cities.”