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Unread 07-11-2016, 09:12   #21
grainne whale
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Celbridge
Posts: 259
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Quote:
Originally Posted by James Howard View Post
While regular users used to get very reasonable deals on annual passes, this has gone up by 50% over the last 4 years. Since it's now down to about a 40% discount on 12 monthlies, that will be eroded entirely over the next 3 to 4 years at this rate.

I do think that on principle, you should be charged a bit extra to park a car at the station but for some stations enforcement costs must come pretty close to the revenue. By the time you've factored in the revenue lost this has to almost entirely absorb the income stream from parking.

My understanding is that Irish Rail get about a million euro a year from parking. This is the revenue gained from about 250 to 300 long-distance passes or about 40,000 day returns. I tend to encourage friends and neighbours to use the train when travelling to Dublin as it is so much easier than driving but the most common reason people give for driving aside from the train not going where they need to go is the parking charges.

4.50 on top of 25 euro for a journey than can be done on 20 euro of diesel tips the balance for a lot of people and makes it senseless to use the train if two people are travelling.
Yes I find the same, I always encourage friends/neighbours to use the train Celbridge/Hazelhatch to Dublin as it is far more pleasant than a bus journey, but again it's the parking charges that put them off, also the cost of 145/Luas is a factor. For them it's a no brainer, it's far easier to drive.

Last edited by grainne whale : 07-11-2016 at 09:14.
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