Passenger numbers plummet as train is abandoned for car

[karlr42]

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...r-3190395.html

RAIL passenger numbers are plummeting as intercity commuters are finding it as fast and as cheap to take to the road.

With competitive costs on the motorway network, a growing number of rail users are switching back to their cars because they can make the same journey as quickly.

Rail passenger numbers have fallen by 25pc in the last five years, according to an official Department of Transport report.

An Irish Rail spokesman admitted last night that improved journey times offered by the new motorway network now put the firm at a competitive disadvantage and was a factor in falling passenger numbers.

Downturn

However, the spokesman stressed that the main reason for the decline in passengers was the economic downturn.

But during the same period, traffic volumes on major roads has remained steady despite the sharp fall-off in economic activity.

Analysis by the Irish Independent shows that car drivers can travel between Dublin and the main cities for roughly the same cost and time as going by train unless they book online three days in advance.

For example, going by train from Dublin to Limerick takes two-and-a-half hours with an open return for €63.

By car, the same journey takes two hours 21 minutes, with a return fuel bill of €60 and a toll bill of €3.60.

An open return ticket from Dublin to Cork costs €77 with a journey time of two hours 50 minutes.

Travelling there in a typical mid-range car takes two hours 55 minutes, with a return fuel cost of €77 for the return journey, plus €7.20 for four tolls.

And rail fares are set to rise again by as much as 6pc across the board after CIE applied to the National Transport Authority for the price hike.

The move follows a Government decision to increase its subvention to CIE by €36m this year. But CIE point to its own research showing that, far from being a rip-off, Irish Rail prices are lower than the European average.

Ireland ranks midway for rail fares in a survey of 15 EU countries, according to a report commissioned by CIE and seen by the Irish Independent.

The UK emerges as the most expensive for taking an inter-city day return journey train -- twice the price here. Italy has the cheapest mainline services.

The rail survey examines journeys comparable to the 267km Dublin to Cork journey.

It reveals:

? Ireland is the sixth cheapest for a pre-booked online web fare at €39 for Dublin to Cork. Germany is the most expensive with the journey from Hamburg -- Berlin (277km) costing €78 online. The cheapest is Ostend to Eupen (265km) in Belgium at just €15, although there is limited availability.

? For an open return ticket, Ireland is in seventh place, behind Denmark, Austria, Finland, Germany, Sweden and the most expensive, the UK, where London to Sheffield costs €250 (compared to €77 for Dublin to Cork). The Belgium route was again the cheapest.

? For a day return, the UK was again the most expensive, and Ireland the seventh cheapest. Taking the train from Milan to Venice (267km) in Italy was the cheapest.

But it is still as cheap or cheaper to use the new motorway network, by paying for fuel and a series of tolls, than buying a rail ticket on the day of travel.

Cheaper fares are on offer, however, if passengers book online three days before travel.

- Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent

Irish Independent

[James Howard]

I must get one of those Irish Independent cars that has zero depreciation and zero maintenance costs and that can be parked in a city centre for free.

There are many things wrong with the Irish railway system but excessive ticket prices is not one of them.

[karlr42]

But the fact the train is no faster than a car is.

Rather than comparing the €77 Dub-Cork train fare to the ~€77 car journey, they should have compared the €77 Dub-Cork train fare to the €20 bus fare from Aircoach.

[Mark Gleeson]

Its 41.98 to Cork by train.

The problem here is the Indo hasn't checked its facts, yes numbers are down, but down from a crazy high. In boom time 10% per annum increases in numbers were routine and passenger comfort was very much a secondary consideration. Yes 2007 vs 2011 its about 20% but 2010-2011 its more or less stable, so this story is way behind the curve.

Passenger numbers today on most routes are still well above 10 years ago, and some routes, Sligo and Westport have seen growth even in the darkest days of the recession.

The fall off is mainly in short to medium commuting, where unemployment combined with effective bus services (Mathews Coaches in Drogheda being the prime example) have seen fairly serious falls in Maynooth/Drogheda and DART services. For example the Poles were heavy public transport users, they have now left.

[KSW]

Driving to Dublin from Gorey makes more sense with a car/bus expect bus eireann takes 1hr15mins VS the train at 1hr50mins. Been told on Saturday that the after train from Connolly to Rosslare was packed out, lots of people had to stand as far as Gorey. Three carriages is not enough , would it be possible to turn those 22k into 4 or 5sets for the line..

[Jamie2k9]

Worth nothing that none of this so called "research" by the Indo was factored into peak travel times, would like to see the journey on a Friday afternoon and Monday mornings and bet it will tell a different story.

Think most people realize that IE need to make improvements and if what was posted on boards is correct then Heuston services are set for a major shake up before then end of the year.

[Thomas Ralph]

Originally Posted by James Howard

I must get one of those Irish Independent cars that has zero depreciation and zero maintenance costs and that can be parked in a city centre for free.

There are many things wrong with the Irish railway system but excessive ticket prices is not one of them.

Yup.

[Inniskeen]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Its 41.98 to Cork by train.

The fall off is mainly in short to medium commuting, where unemployment combined with effective bus services (Mathews Coaches in Drogheda being the prime example) have seen fairly serious falls in Maynooth/Drogheda and DART services. For example the Poles were heavy public transport users, they have now left.

How do Irish Rail propose to compete with the effective bus services to which you refer - maybe deploy surplus ICRs on express commuter trains on the northern route? Even three limited-stop expresses out of Dundalk at, say, 0630, 0700 and 0730 taking advantage of the 90mph line limit and with corresponding return services in the evening would transform the current lack lustre offering and form the basis for re-building patronage.

Bit of a no brainer but I suspect on past performance highly unlikely to happen.

Incidentally there is still a substantial number of foreign nationals working in Ireland (around 10% of the working population), although it is true that this group have been dis-proportionately affected by the collapse of the Celtic tiger as many were working in construction related employments.

[sublimity]

Originally Posted by KSW

Three carriages is not enough , would it be possible to turn those 22k into 4 or 5sets for the line..

It might just have to be done. Either that or selective door opening with 6 coaches (22k)

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by sublimity

It might just have to be done. Either that or selective door opening with 6 coaches (22k)

it didnt come with that button. there is something being said about it being done sometime.

[sublimity]

Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp

it didnt come with that button. there is something being said about it being done sometime.

Should've been done a long time ago

[James Howard]

The ability to use commuting time is the main advantage of the train. The car is definitely dead time and a bus is largely dead time unless they can give you as much space as on a 22k. You can get some work done on a 29k but only if you arrive early enough to monopolise one of the 6 tables per car in the groups of 4 seats. So basically the space on a 22k is the main selling point for Irish Rail in people who are spending more than and 2 hours per day on the train.

Irish Rail's best bet for people going further than an hour each way is to do what it takes for these commuters to be able to effectively use their time on the train. Maybe they should consider reconfiguring a car or two per group of 4 29ks as working space where the seats were in a configuration more similar to the 22Ks. Maybe include a seat-booking facility to commuter passes where for a couple of hundred a year you could hold a seat on one train per day each way.

This is how you can justify charging people a thousand euro a year more than the bus. The same argument applies to occasional business travellers and college students who can be persuaded to cough up a few quid more if they can use their time on the train. But then I reckon most of the college student on the train I take are travelling on a Sydney Parade to Connolly ticket because there is no chance of them being checked and there is no way the bus can compete with that

[Thomas Ralph]

Is it just me or have they vanished the comments off that article? I posted more or less what James said about the Indo car.