A 15 year old and Irish Rail

[Colm Donoghue]

From Indo 25July06

After hearing so much praise for Irish Rail in recent weeks, I felt that I must write of the appalling standard of service that I received from their staff on a journey from Limerick Junction to Dublin Heuston.

As a fifteen year old student who has just completed his Junior Certificate exams, I felt positive that I still qualified for the Under Sixteen Children's fare which is half the adult fare. To my amazement however, I was told that unless I produced my passport, I would be charged the adult rate. Despite producing a membership card which contained my date of birth, I still had to pay the adult rate.

To add insult to injury, for a journey which was double the price in my case, I still had to endure standing room only for the entire two-hour journey.

I feel that now is the time for Irish Rail to do something for its younger passengers.

It certainly hurt me to have my day trip ruined by something as ridiculous as this as it was my first trip to Dublin without my parents with me.

Despite the fact that one receives a Student Travel Card at the age of sixteen, to the best of my knowledge, no such card is produced for under-sixteens living outside the capital.

Is it not time something was done to encourage young people to use public transport?
TADHG RYAN,
KNOCKLONG,
CO LIMERICK

[Mark Gleeson]

A) Sadly Irish Rail are legally able to do this since the child fare is a concession, lack of a national ID card doesn't help. There has been serious abuse of the concession, letter doesn't say if a photo existed on the ID produced, it a photo did it should be accepted otherwise its limbo (local boozer wouldn't). Problem is teenagers try to make themselves look older than they are.

Of course the simplest way around this would have been to board the train without a ticket and pay onboard and only produce sufficent cash for the child fare, legally its suspect but if the booking office can't sell you the ticket you want that is equivalent to the office not being open

Irish Rail should produce at minimal cost a youth identity card which names the school location and home location which would double for under 16 ID, this is done in Europe but for a good reason, see below (12-18/21/25 is a middle fare band below adult but above child)

The onus is on the passenger to prove they are entitled to the reduced fare, the failure here is a lack of a simple national ID card, which solves a heap of problems elsewhere as well.

Even with all this in place you will still get people complaining

B) The child age limit across europe is 12 better keep quiet about that

C) Seat reservations are available to all ticket holders bar those on social welfare passes (DoT only permit day of travel sales)

[PaulM]

They used to have an ID card. Was that only for the DART?

[Thomas J Stamp]

Nope, I had one, back in the days of steam and b&w photography.

[bigjim]

Originally Posted by Paul Mulcahy

They used to have an ID card. Was that only for the DART?

I had a yellow one when I was under 16 yrs, changed to a green one for my last few years in school. It had Iarnród Éireann written on it, so for all rail I assume?

[Colm Donoghue]

and ye got that in Tipp? TJS & BigJim?

Children are not entitled to a Passport as a right by the way, only if Both parents agree.

[Thomas J Stamp]

Nope got mine in Dublin, but it was a cie one, so valid for everything.

[bigjim]

Originally Posted by colmd

and ye got that in Tipp? TJS & BigJim?

Dublin too . I just asked in the local station for the form.