Sail & Rail

[Mark Gleeson]

There are no Stena sailings on the Rosslare - Fishguard route from 29th March till 6th April

Engine on the Stena Europe has to be replaced

Strangely the SeaCat for the route is tied up in Dun Laoghaire

You could try Irish Ferries but that route is most certainly not on Sail/Rail

[quartz]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

There are no Stena sailings on the Rosslare - Fishguard route from 29th March till 6th April

Engine on the Stena Europe has to be replaced

Strangely the SeaCat for the route is tied up in Dun Laoghaire

You could try Irish Ferries but that route is most certainly not on Sail/Rail

Thanks, yeah I noticed that. I'm travelling in the second week in April so should be fine.

I presume the lack of onward ticket booking from Rosslare to other IÉ stations is down to the general disinterest in S&R at IÉ? Seeing as the ferry companies and IÉ have been unable to co-ordinate timetables I should not be too surprised I guess.

[Mark Gleeson]

Its not Irish Rail the problem is the UK rail operators have taken a decision that due to the poor connections at Rosslare not to offer through ticketing on that route to avoid potential issues when people find out they can't make a return journey

Irish Rail should still sell tickets through that route but only if they start in Ireland.

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Its not Irish Rail the problem is the UK rail operators have taken a decision that due to the poor connections at Rosslare not to offer through ticketing on that route to avoid potential issues when people find out they can't make a return journey

Irish Rail should still sell tickets through that route but only if they start in Ireland.

but they are right though aren't they? [uk rail operators]

if you look at the stena line timetable there are sailings at 09:00, 21:15 with an additional 15:00 from july to september

But none of the irish rail 07:30 (10:30 arr). 13:30 (16.30 arr) and 18:30 (21:30 arr) come anywhere close to connecting these sailings

I do think the rosslare-fishguard tickets should be on sale but need to come with a health warning!

[Thomas Ralph]

For reasons outlined above, you can get a booking from GB to Rosslare Harbour via Fishguard-Rosslare. Anything else will route via Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire/Dublin.

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by Thomas Ralph

I recommend not using that website as it charges more than booking through any train operating company's site.

Yes, you're right, I hadn't realised you could avoid the booking fees and credit card charges imposed by thetrainline.com by booking with the individual train operating companies.

I've just booked through London Midland for an internal UK journey and no booking fees / card charges applied.

[Mark Gleeson]

Arriva Train Wales has just confirmed that it will offer tickets via Rosslare to Irish destinations once the timetable change on the Dublin Rosslare line has been confirmed

This resolves a long standing issue

Thanks to Rail Users Ireland opposite numbers in the UK, Railfuture who made some inquiries for us in a matter of hours and got a straight answer

[Colm Moore]

Ther eis a suggestion that Fishgaurd may get 8 trains per day.

[Traincustomer]

That's right, Colm and is definite - five additional weekday trains in each direction from Mid-September. The draft timetable was indicative that some would run through to Cardiff etc..., making them infinitely more attractive than a mere Fishguard to Carmarthen shuttle.

And things are looking promising for a reopening of the erstwhile station at Fishguard & Goodwick - (around a mile up the line from Fishguard Harbour station and better located for local users).

While recognising that these additional services are primarily aimed at the local population (ferry passengers already have a daytime and night-time connecting train in both directions seven days a week), from an Irish perspective they do allow one to stop off a few hours in North Pembrokeshire. If the Stena Express is still operational on the route next Summer it will likely have a connecting train both to and from the ferry.

More info here: http://fishguardtrains.info/

[Eddie]

I've just completed a return through Fishguard, and it was amazing to see how close the station is to ship there, and that the current 2 trains a day actually coincide fully with the ship's arrivals and departures.

Meawhile at Rosslare a greater number of departures actually only connect with the evening departure and early morning arrival of the ships, and the new timetable will only improve these connections, but not create any others.

And then you have the irony that CIE actualy run Rosslare Harbour, as signified by the very outdated orange CIE symbol everywhere yet abandon the old connecting station leaving a complete eyesore, and have a 5.55pm departure that leaves just before the Stena boat gets in. Surely this state asset would be far better in private hands.

[Traincustomer]

Couldn't agree more.

Fishguard is a nice compact terminal. A model of good practice.

There are so few locations like this in 2011. Larne Harbour is the nearest example on this side with Dún Laoghaire following a bit behind and Europort...lagging far behind.

Stranraer is currently similar to Fishguard but in the Autumn Stena Line are relocating to a new port further along Loch Ryan near Cairnryan so rail-ferry integration between the main Scottish cities and NI/Dublin will very much be a thing of the past.

We often don't value what we have till it has gone!

[Eddie]

Originally Posted by Traincustomer

Stena Line are relocating to a new port further along Loch Ryan near Cairnryan so rail-ferry integration between the main Scottish cities and NI will very much be a thing of the past.

Stena state on their Rail & Sail leaflets that transit between Belfast station and the port is at the passengers expense, so how they'll be able to market tickets that are disconnected at both ends should make interesting reading.

[offalynice]

Hey Guys can you use your free travel pass on the sail and rail?

[Mark Gleeson]

The DSP pass is only valid within the Island of Ireland

The UK mainland does not offer anything remotely similar to the extremely generous Irish free travel regime.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The DSP pass is only valid within the Island of Ireland

... and its minor islands - they are valid on many island ferries and offer discounts on a very limited number of island air services.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en...ee_travel.html

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Publication...velScheme.aspx

List of operators (may not be up to date): http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Operational...eeschemes.aspx

[Thomas Ralph]

National Rail (UK) has announced it is ending walk-up Sail & Rail ticket sales from the new year, due to customer misuse. Reservations will have to be made in advance and people will have to travel on the train booked.

No idea how this affects tickets issued from IÉ.

[Mark Gleeson]

There is a serious problem with respect to non use of reservations it can result in being left behind particularly on Holyhead Dublin. But thats not the reason for this, its to stop people using Sail/Rail to bypass UK fares i.e. not travel on the ferry. That doesn't apply to IE issued tickets as you have to take the ferry to get to the UK in the first place

Irish Rail are actively looking at online sale of Sail/Rail but it could be some time

[Thomas Ralph]

The main problem I foresee is whether IÉ-issued tickets will be accepted without UK reservations by badly-trained ATW/Virgin staff.

[comcor]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

That doesn't apply to IE issued tickets as you have to take the ferry to get to the UK in the first place

I don't think that's strictly true.

For example, IIRC, if you ask for a single to Bangor from Cork, it's about E15 cheaper than a single to Dublin from Cork.

However, the only way you make a saving is on walk-up singles to Dublin.

[Mark Gleeson]

Irish Rail has very limited number of offices selling SailRail unlike the UK where any staffed office can sell them so there is a very low rate of abuse on the system.

For comparison a walk up single London Holyhead is £135.50/£80.30 SailRail is £32

Cork Bangor is 20 + 35 = 55 Cheapest walk up cash fare is the 51 euro day return, 37 euro online. So its not a massive weak spot in the system.