Commuters in the greater Dublin area are set to see their public transport prices drop but other counties will see fares increase under a new pricing structure published by the National Transport Authority.
Fares will be based on two new zones – the Dublin City Zone which extends roughly 23km from the city centre – and the Dublin Commuter Zone which extends to 50km.
These will replace zones currently applied by different transport operators.
Two new towns, Ashbourne and Ratoath in Co Meath, will come into the city zone.
However, Greystones in Co Wicklow, which is the most southerly stop on the Dart line, is being excluded.
Within the city zone, two fares of €1.50 and €2.40 will apply. The €1.50 fare is a 20c increase on the current comparable fare.
A new weekly Leap Card cap of €24 will also be introduced for City Zone travellers, down from the current cost of €32.
Also announced today is a new all-modes ticket to be introduced this year, offering full access to Dublin Bus, Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas and Irish Rail services in the Dublin City Zone. The ticket is to cost €96 monthly or €960 annually, representing a saving of 38% compared to the existing equivalent of €155 and €1550. Additional savings can be made by customers availing of the product via Taxsaver.
Similarly, a weekly Leap cap covering services provided by all operators in the City Zone will be €24, compared to the current equivalent of €32.
See examples of area where fares will decrease, and those that will increase, below.
Labour’s Senator Mark Wall in Kildare South and Deputy Ged Nash in Louth have today welcomed the NTA announcement that Newbridge, Sallins, Drogheda, and Laytown have been included in the new lower-price Dublin Commuter Zone.
Senator Wall said: “Following a campaign over the last 6 years we are delighted to see the NTA publish the new Dublin Commuter Zone pricing structure today. The new structure will mean cheaper rail fares for hard pressed commuters using Newbridge and Kildare rail stations.
“I raised this in the Seanad with Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan last February and I am delighted that he has heeded our call. The campaign run by the Kildare South Labour Party, which accumulated with almost 8,000 signatures calling for a fair deal for rail commuters, has included numerous meetings with the NTA, and highlighted the inequality of fares between Newbridge and Sallins rail stations in particular.
“It is very important that I acknowledge the campaign of Newbridge Community Development and in particular its lead Jennifer Caffrey, whose “extend the short hop zone” campaign placed the need of commuters and the inequality of fares at the very heart of this debate. It was great to work with her on keeping this important item at the top of the agenda.
“This is an important step forward for rail commuters in Kildare South but the campaign will not rest until the two other stations in Kildare South, Monasterevin and Athy see an equal reduction in fares as well as seeing an increase in carriages and infrastructure . We’re calling on Government and the NTA to review the further towns which could benefit from the short hop zone ticket pricing structure”.
Deputy Nash said: "It's about time fairer fares were introduced for rail commuters.
"Drogheda, South Louth and East Meath-based train users were for too long cash-cows paying unjustifiably high adult daily, monthly and annual rates to use trains on the busiest line in the country.
"I have campaigned for fairer and more transparent fare structures for many years and I am pleased that we now have real and tangible progress that will see commuters availing of fairer fares from Drogheda and Laytown into Dublin.
