Free Travel for Over 65s on Irish Rail

[JayneM]

Originally Posted by comcor

Mostly it's filling empty capacity, but I would restrict it on trains leaving Dublin between 4:30 and 7 in the evening, especially on a Friday.

It's galling to be on the 5 o'clock to Cork and see some old fella get on with 90 seconds to go and getting a seat from someone who has paid €77 for the privilege an taken their seat 15 minutes previously. I've even seen people give up reserved seats in those circumstances.

I have to say I agree with the idea of restricting peak time travel and the sentiments expressed. I had a colleague recently who had reserved a seat on a train traveling out of Dublin in the morning (i am afraid i don't remember exacty the destination but he was travelling for work purposes) and had also broken his arm the weekend before. When he got on there was an old lady sitting in the seat and, given the social stigma he felt he couldn't ask her to move. So having paid for his reservation he spent the entire hour long journey on his feet.