[dermo88]

Disagree. The market based mechanism is better once you know how it works and its transparent once its displayed online or at the railway station, it makes things much better. This enables the passenger to choose when to travel, rewards planned travel, enables the operator to balance out peaks and troughs in demand, and maximises revenue. PROFIT is not an evil word. Public service is not an evil word. Two conflicting objectives get balanced out.

I wrote on this before in July 2005 on another website (wording as below) copied and pasted from my archives - giving an opinion that the train ticketing system in Ireland is overpriced in some respects, and underpriced in others. It needs more flexibility to create travel opportunities and maximise revenue for the railway, while offering passengers value for money where needed. There needs to be greater banding in the style and type of tickets offered.

Therefore, we seperate the rail network into several bands:

High Quality Band A routes:

Dublin - Cork, Dublin - Limerick (Direct trains only, no changing at Limerick Junction), Dublin - Belfast,
Dublin - Galway

Where the average speed, point to point is equal to or greater than 100kmh (60 mph)

Then, seperate the ticket types into Peak and Off Peak (Peak meaning travel on Intercity Expresses, where a seat is GUARANTEED on the train. No seats available, means you wait for the next train, or you don't travel. This eliminates the crap service of overcrowded trains that has given Iarnród Éireann a poor reputation over the years. For this I recommend a price of 25 cent per kilometer on peak demand services (7:00 Heuston to Cork) for a walk on fare, which would give a price of EUR64.00. Peak services cater more for business travellers. A return fare would be at a 75% premium above this, meaning a fare of EUR112.00 return (Standard Class. A First Class ticket on the CItygold would be priced at between 30 and 70% more again.

However, before there is an outcry at this, there should be discounts for advance booking

24 hour advance purchase, means that you get a 50% discount and travel for EUR56.00 rtn
3 Day Advance purchase, means that you get a further discount of 30% and travel for EUR39.20 rtn
7 Day Advance purchase, means you get to travel for EUR28.00 rtn
14 Day or greater advance purchase means you travel for EUR21.00 (A Bargain for Dublin to Cork)

Off peak services are discounted also, with any train leaving Heuston to Cork after 10:00, and before 16:00 are discounted, with the walk on fare becoming EUR56.00, and the other fares discounted in proportion.

For a guideline, Dublin to Limerick (128 miles or 205km), Dublin to Belfast (111 miles or 180km), Dublin to Galway (135 miles or 215km)

Slower Band B routes

Dublin to Waterford
Dublin to Tralee (Beyond Mallow at 15 cent per kilometer)
Dublin to Westport prices at the same level as Dublin - Galway on account of slower services, and competition from Dublin Airport to Knock Air services)
Dublin to Sligo

Band C routes (regional), charged at a flat rate of 12 cent per kilometer

Dublin to Rosslare
Rosslare to Limerick
Ennis to Limerick

Other special offers and discounts apply, and there are also caps on fares. Severe restrictions on free travel and concessions.

But then.....we need to get services up to a European standard to even contemplate such things. These are only rough ideas, and modifications are required. Its complicated as it is, and a good balance between getting the best deal for all parties, from operator, to user to shareholder is required. We will agree on one thing at the end. No solution is ideal, but it should be reasonably transparent, with objectives, outcomes and performance made clear.