Student tickets...

[Philly]

Hi all.

I am writing this as I have no other way of finding out what I need to know.

I e-mailed IE, you see, and they never got back to me. That was two weeks ago.

I am on my way to college from next Wednesday the 13th on. I am studying in Dublin and live in Newbridge. I am wondering - how much does a monthly student ticket cost? How does one go about purchasing one? I have applied for a "Student Travel Card" and hope to have that by next Wednesday / Thursday.

Thanks for your time.

[Derek Wheeler]

Cheers Philly.

Our own genius technical officer will provide the info very shortly. I'm way passed student days.(despite being the spokesperson)

Thanks for logging on. Keep us posted about your experiences.

[Mark Gleeson]

You will need to get the id card first before a ticket can be issued, normally you need that stamped by the college i.e you need to be registered first. They are normally very efficent

Student fares are available on single and returns to Newbridge, student fare return is 12 euro (valid for 30 days), normal adult is 13 euro (valid day of issue only). Add 2 euro if you wish to go to Dublin City Centre (90/1/2 bus or Luas transfer)

Monthly tickets are vaild from the 1st of the month, student weekly Sunday to Saturday

Forget about the IE website it never works give the lads in Newbridge a ring 045 431219 and explain exactly what you want

You will need transport from Heuston to your college, if its NCI the 90 bus goes within yards of it if so you want a monthly ticket to Dublin City Centre, one ticket only needed

I know its not TCD so you will most likely need a bus. There is something called a long hop ticket which used to exist almost certainly still does and it would give you unlimited travel rail/bus eireann and Dublin Bus for everything within 30 miles of Dublin

Otherwise you end up with a monthly rail ticket to Heuston and a monthly Dublin Bus ticket. Best option here to get quotes and to work out how many days a week you will be in College and weigh up the options, if I knew where you where going I might be able to be more precise

[Philly]

Thanks!

Was in Dublin today registering. I eventually got a quote for a student monthly ticket ~(after going being sent by customer services to tickets and back again, the guy searched out a book letting me know about the fees). It is €106 for a monthly ticket if I have the "Student Travel Card". Then a montly Bus/LUAS ticket is €64.

So €170 a month to get to and all around Dublin ain't too bad, is it!

Oh and as for issues: there was a leaking roof on the 8:01 from Newbridge to Heuston, if that's any good to ye! Oddly, it wasn't raining out, but water came from somewhere! My "Herald AM" got drenched!

[Derek Wheeler]

Surely you can buy just one monthly ticket that covers all your needs.

Que oldies lament.

In 1990/91, my medium hop ticket cost around £21 per week and covered unlimited travel from Naas on Bus Eireann to Dublin and then unlimited travel on Dublin Bus and Irish Rail within a certain boundary.

Why the seperate tickets for rail and Bus/Luas?

Going to research it. Need to.

[Mark Gleeson]

there was a leaking roof on the 8:01 from Newbridge to Heuston, if that's any good to ye! Oddly, it wasn't raining out, but water came from somewhere! My "Herald AM" got drenched!Thats the tank for the toilet, they are rusting on the older trains. Likely that train will be replaced with a slightly newer one in coming weeks

You don't mention where you are going which makes this tricky to confirm it as the best deal but it is massively cheaper than buying returns each day and its total travel freedom on Luas and bus in Dublin

The Bus/Luas ticket is valid for 30 days from date of purchase but be careful if you buy it from a Luas ticket agent it will be valid from that day forward, if you buy it from a Dublin Bus ticket agent it will be valid from the day it is first used on the bus and is not valid on the Luas until it has been validated on the bus.

Got that there will be a test later

[Oisin88]

Yes, that begs the question: why is there no Heuston-UCD bus? Are Dublin Bus just waiting for the two luas lines up to make the 92 (invented when the luas made the 90 look like less of an option) redundant?

[Derek Wheeler]

In my "college" days (christ I miss them;) ) BE ran a bus from Naas at 7.30 every morning, Mon-Fri, to UCD. It was open to any traveller and served the Green on the way. Used it on a frequent basis. I would say its still operating. If not, then its madness. It was a good example of visionary thinking. But then again it probably came about as a result of a CIE employee, living in Naas, with kids in UCD.

Yep. Im cynical.

[Colm Donoghue]

One of their kids musta gone to DCU later as a bus service from Naas to DCU started in 96 or 97 during my sentence there.

[Mark Gleeson]

There be a perfectly good bus service city UCD its called the 10, 11B, 46a, 145, 63, 84. DCU 11/a/b/c 13a and 19a, there is an assumption that unless public transport is direct that its as good as not existing at all

UCD is route 126 to Newbridge via Naas once a day

[Brian Condron]

There be a perfectly good bus service city UCD its called the 10, 11B, 46a, 145, 63, 84, there is an assumption that unless public transport is direct that its as good as not existing at all


That is because it involves two separate tickets, walking across the city, and missing your 2nd bus by seconds. It is very difficult to take two buses in Dublin as they do not seem to be co-ordinated at all. I know that you can have a weekly bus ticket, but only regular users will have that. And to become a regular user, you have to overcome the perception that changing buses is difficult, and at the moment that perception is there.

By the way, in my opinion best way of getting from Heuston to UCD I believe is the 92 to Stephens Green and 46A to Montrose if it is peak hour, or 90 to O'Connell St. and 10 to UCD if it is off peak.

By the way, when I was in college, there used be a "46A" every friday at about 4:30 that went from the Terminus beside the Eng block to Heuston station. Don't know if it still exists, or why it was called a 46A. At this time the 746 was still called the 46A "Airport" though, so if the Heuston station one does still exist I'd imagine that is has been re-numbered.

EDIT: Two posts merged by me - Paul

[Mark Gleeson]

You should be able to get a Naas Dublin long hop ticket which covers all CIE services within 30 miles of Dublin

Bear in mind there is only one service a day each way to UCD with Bus Eireann, fat lot of good that is

[Maynooth_Line]

There's two buses in the morning, both around 9:20 (for some strange reason) from Heuston to Belfield. They display 46E on the front but are listed on the 46A timetable. There are a few others through out the day (but not many).

Do any of the X buses go by Heuston? Nearly all X buses terminate in Belfield in the morning and start there in the evening.

[Oisin88]

There be a perfectly good bus service city UCD its called the 10, 11B, 46a, 145, 63, 84. DCU 11/a/b/c 13a and 19a, there is an assumption that unless public transport is direct that its as good as not existing at all
Almost. I used to take the bus from Terenure to Finglas. 30-40 minutes to town on the bus. 10 minutes walk across town. 10-20 minute wait for the bus. 20 minute bus to Finglas.

Problem here is not the 50-60 minute travel time but the 20-30 minute extra "non-integration" time.

I'd imagine that if you were taking the train, 90/luas, bus option you would be talking about two 10-15 minute "non-integration" delays.

Even the direct bus option is no good for people who can't read on buses (travelsickness) who get to do their studying on the train so they can spend the rest of their valuable time in the pub etc...

[Philly]

Hi again!

Well I sent off my aplication for a Student Travel Card last Thursday. Hopefully I will have it by the end of the week - they promise it within 5 working days. I was told at Heuston that I can only get a monthly ticket as far as Heuston and then have to buy a combined bus and Luas ticket. As I said, I don't mind as I feel €170 is good value. Much better than the €15 a day I pay.

Another question: is it true that you have to get your photo on the ticket? If so do I get my own passport photos?

[Mark Gleeson]

I was told at Heuston that I can only get a monthly ticket as far as Heuston and then have to buy a combined bus and Luas ticket.Thats false, you can get a ticket from Newbridge to Dublin city centre which includes the use of the Luas between Hesuton and Connolly as well as any journey on the 90/91/92 buses

Since we don't know where you are going we can't give advice as to which is the best option in cost terms

Another question: is it true that you have to get your photo on the ticket? If so do I get my own passport photos?


No, you must have the ID card with you at all times and the number on the ID card must match that printed on the ticket

Annual tickets are individualised for the user (you can request custom types)they come with the owners photo printed on them thus avoiding the need for an id card

[Colm Donoghue]

Annual tickets are individualised for the user (you can request custom types)they come with the owners photo printed on them thus avoiding the need for an id card
only annual rail tickets have this, bus&rail tickets mean you need to get an id card in dublin bus on O'Connell st.

[Philly]

That's weird as I specifically asked if Heuston was the farthest I could get a monthly ticket - and the man replied yes.

Maybe you guys should be wording for IE - you seem to know more about their services :)

[Mark Gleeson]

That's weird as I specifically asked if Heuston was the farthest I could get a monthly ticket - and the man replied yes.
Well I'm 100% sure there is a Newbridge to City Centre monthly ticket, there is a weekly one and I can prove it :D
287

Monthly adult is €150, €18.20 extra for the Luas/90 bus

There should be a matching student ticket for each adult type

Maybe you guys should be wording for IE - you seem to know more about their services :)That scares Irish Rail, we also know all the loop holes and the legal ways to get to places for much less than you think, buy a return to Cork, its perfectly legit to come back from Killarney :eek:

[PaulM]

There is still a 46A from Heuston, I see it the odd time.

[sandraoh]

only annual rail tickets have this, bus&rail tickets mean you need to get an id card in dublin bus on O'Connell st.
I have a bus & rail ticket and my photo is on it. I was also made get one of those IDs from O'Connell street and then told to submit a photograph too!

[Oisin88]

That's weird as I specifically asked if Heuston was the farthest I could get a monthly ticket - and the man replied yes.

I happened to ring Tullamore Railway station today and was told that I could buy a student monthly ticket, including Luas to the City Centre (for someone else, I'm too old to be a student)

Also, you can pick up the student travelcard straight away from the Students Union in Trinity, so I presume you can in other colleges as well.

[Mark Gleeson]

I happened to ring Tullamore Railway station today and was told that I could buy a student monthly ticket, including Luas to the City Centre (for someone else, I'm too old to be a student)Surprise surprise it exists

Also, you can pick up the student travelcard straight away from the Students Union in Trinity, so I presume you can in other colleges as well.
You can but only if you are registered first since you need a college ID card

Trinity College, Student Union Centre.
University College Dublin, Old Students Union.
Dublin City University, Student Union.
Alan Hanna's Book Shop, Kevin Street, Dublin 2.
University College Cork, UCC Travel, Students Centre.
SAYIT Travel, 76 Grand Parade, Cork.
University College Limerick, Students Union.
NUI Galway, Students Union.

There is a constant queue in TCD at the moment and Freshers week is still 3 weeks away

[Philly]

Well today was the start of my three year stint as a commuter. Wow, what an experience. :eek:

Arriving at my train home twenty minutes before it was due to leave only to be told that there was only standing space left was pretty dissapointing. It bugs me that you have to pay the same for a ticket whether you have a nice, cosy chair or are cruished against a door (as I was today).

Make sure you keep fighting the good fight guys - God knows things can only get better.

[Philly]

Got my Student Travel card today - in good time I must say.

[Philly]

Yesterday and today I have asked for a Student Day Return to Dublin City Centre. I keep being given "weekender" tickets, which are valid for two weeks - obviously not a day return. These tickets cost €14 from Newbridge and therefore save me a whopping €1 - which in student language equated to a maximum of five cans of Bavaria per week - simply not good enough. :p

Is there no student day return? Newbridge Station seem to doubt it's existance...

[Mark Gleeson]

Is there no student day return? Newbridge Station seem to doubt it's existance...
There is no such thing as a student day return

All student tickets are valid for 30 days from the issued date, ie the valid from date (you can buy in advance), there is no day return option

On the upside it means if you don't get home on the return portion you can use it on another day

Student fare is 12 euro, I checked the IE system better still I have a Student return from Heuston to Newbridge in front of me and it says €12

[Philly]

To Dublin city centre - not Heuston.

[Mark Gleeson]

its €14 so, confirmed

[Donal Quinn]

hey
it seems that the online ticket booking thingy lets me book seats at the student rate
i thought it was only full price tickets..

is this new or am i slow

[Mark Gleeson]

Nope its been like that since the off

The seat res system will offer the full range of tickets
Adult/Child/Student/Farecard/Weekender are offered on all routes except cross border

It will even allow a student to travel first class

[Derek Wheeler]

WARNING TO PHILLY!

Back in my student days (as I put my pipe in me gob), it was traditional to have a few evening pints to discuss the days business (on selected nights). My commute to Naas was by bus from the quays at 10.45. Same place every night I went for it. Now, the current train service is a completely different scenario. The last train (should you ever depend on it Philly) departs heuston at 22.45. But beware! Some night you may show up in heuston and it'll be sitting at platform 3 (nice and handy and quickly accessible) However, don't even think about planning your journey to "dash in the door at heuston and head for platform 3". Always plan your last minute dash for the very last train home on the basis of it departing from somewhere like platform 1. (the outer reaches of heuston station.)

For some strange reason and one that was highlighted at a public meeting in Newbridge last March, IE, in their infinate wisdom, insist on running the last train to Kildare from Platform 1, while closer platforms lie idle. To date they keep doing it, despite a promise to change it. Be careful man.

Furthermore, you could take the last train to Newbridge from Pearse, Tara St or Connolly stations, if IE were actually interested in providing a decent train service, even in times of stretched capacity. (at that time of night, its irrelevent anyway) But the powers that be think you might be confused by all of this. In reality it because of outdated work practices and managements reluctance to tackle it. They prefer to offer poor excuses, in a condescending and arrogant fashion. But thats a different story.

Anyway, me pipe is gone out, so Im off for me slippers and a nice cup of ovaltine.