Ireland Sailrail, Enterprise and Dublin-Cork

[yorkie]

I'm looking at booking York to Cork, via Belfast. However there are no through fares showing on brfares.com; the fares via Cairnryan only appear with a destination of 'Belfast NI'.

Do through fares still exist? I found this post from 5 years ago; it appears they did exist back then:

Through tickets to/from stations in Ireland are still available via Stranraer or Holyhead. Tickets to stations in Ireland via Rosslare have been withdrawn due to poor ship/train connections.

Does anyone know the latest information on this; is it still possible to book a through fare via the Belfast route to places like Cork?

Furthermore, we'd require an overnight stay, and for a single that doesn't appear to be allowed, which is a bit bonkers as to avoid it you'd have to leave at a crazy time in the morning and arrive really late too.

Is it better to book York - Belfast and then separately book Belfast - Cork, or even split at Dublin?

Regarding the Enterprise specifically, is the 1035 from Belfast likely to be busy on a weekday or quiet? I note the current timetable says "Reduced 1st Plus and Enterprise capacity due to Enterprise Overhaul Programme", does that mean the train is short formed? It presumably will still be loco hauled though?

Regarding Dublin-Cork, I note some trains e.g. 1400 from Dublin to Cork do not appear to convey 1st class. While that doesn't affect me directly, again I wonder if the train is short formed, or is 1st declassified, or does it mean it's not loco hauled? (I found some previous threads, though quite old now, stating some trains on the route are not loco hauled; obviously we'd not be taking those!)

When I searched for Belfast - Cork on the Irishrail website, it gives me through itineraries but doesn't provide any fares. If I search separately, there are very reasonable fares of €14.99 for each leg. So, presumably, I should book separate tickets, and if so will be treated as one journey (in the event of delays)?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

A lot of the Mk4 workings over in Ireland have been replaced by ICRs on Dublin-Cork, presumably to save ever diminishing money, so I would assume those with no '1' indication are ICRs since they do not convey First Class.

I believe the Enterprise train will also be an Irish Rail ICR since one (or more) of the usual sets are out of action for a major overhaul, and one subsequent feature is the reduced length and onboard provision.

Make sure you take a good book or company for Dublin-Cork, sadly like many other lines in the South it offers little by way of noteworthy scenery.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just checked - the 1035 ex-Belfast is booked a 5-car ICR. I've not used the Enterprise in a while but from my memories of boarding that at Portadown it might be quite busy.

 

[yorkie]

Thanks. That itinerary is out of the question then!

So I guess it'll have to be the 0800 Belfast-Dublin or 1235 Belfast-Dublin, followed by any train from 1300 to 1900 from Dublin to Cork except the 1400.

And on the return it's presumably again a case of avoiding any train without the '1' symbol, so 0920, 1020, 1220, 1420 are all safe?

There will be 4 of us, and if a line is new to me I won't find the scenery boring anyway, but thanks for the warning

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The ICR set on the Enterprise works (M-S) the 0735, 1320, 1900 ex-Dublin and 1035, 1605, 2135 ex-Belfast, so you should be fine.

Judging by the IR journey planner re: Cork I would say so but I would wait for someone more local to confirm: I think they've been posted on here lately, but if not / no one else comes forward I can check on Saturday.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
See this, it is almost a year old alas: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1765294&postcount=7

 

[CallySleeper]

The ICR sets are pretty good, power sockets, wifi south of the border, even tells you how far in km to the next stop! Similar in some ways to 175s.

York to Cork (heh) through fares are only available via Holyhead, fair enough. Even through fares from Scotland don't use arguably Belfast as the most logical crossing point. Your best way of splitting therefore would be:
York - Belfast NI (£45 single)
Belfast Central - Dublin Con, and
Dublin Heuston - Cork Kent.

Consider buying your Belfast - Dublin tickets direct from Translink, especially if you got the 12.35 as you may get better rates than buying from Iarnrod Eireann in euro.

Wouldn't be able to comment on how busy services are, or whether it would be treated as 'one journey' splitting - remember NRCoC doesn't apply when you get to Belfast.

 

[yorkie]

Thanks for the replies so far.

If we book after 15th Feb, will Dublin-Cork fares increase a lot? The 14.99 euro fare seems to be a special offer and the "offer ends 15th February 2015".

 

[berneyarms]

Current loco hauled services are:

Dublin/Belfast:
Mon-Sat: 09:35; 11:00; 15:20; 16:50; 20:50
Sun: 12:00; 14:00; 19:00

Belfast/Dublin:
Mon-Sat: 06:50; 08:00; 12:35; 14:05; 18:05
Sun: 09:00; 11:05; 16:05

Dublin/Cork:
Mon-Thu: 07:00; 13:00; 17:00; 18:00; 19:00
Fri: 07:00; 11:00; 12:00; 13:00; 17:00; 18:00; 19:00
Sat: 07:00; 11:00; 12:00; 13:00; 17:00; 18:00; 19:00; 21:00
Sun: 10:00; 12:00; 14:00; 15:00; 17:00; 19:00

Cork/Dublin:
Mon-Thu: 07:00; 09:20; 10:20; 16:20; 20:20
Fri: 07:00; 09:20; 10:20; 14:20; 15:20; 16:20; 20:20
Sat: 07:00; 09:20; 10:20; 14:20; 15:20; 16:20; 20:20
Sun: 08:20; 10:20; 12:20; 13:20; 15:20; 17:20; 19:20

Mallow/Cork:
Mon-Sat: 08:00
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The 15:00 Dublin/Cork and 18:20 Cork/Dublin is a 5 piece ICR with 1st Class.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Best option is to buy online separately (Belfast-Dublin and Dublin-Cork).

However, they will be treated as separate journeys so allow time for the Connolly-Heuston transfer.

Irish Rail have an online sale on right now at www.irishrail.ie that finishes on Sunday 15th February - so get your skates on!!

 

[CallySleeper]

Thanks for the replies so far.

If we book after 15th Feb, will Dublin-Cork fares increase a lot? The 14.99 euro fare seems to be a special offer and the "offer ends 15th February 2015".

No I don't imagine they will as there is always online 'advance' fares available.

 

[berneyarms]

No I don't imagine they will as there is always online 'advance' fares available.

The €14.99 fare is only a promotion - fares will rise after Sunday!

You're probably looking at €21.99 or so minimum.

 

[lyndhurst25]

I haven't got my old NFM paper manual with me but the fares to Irish destinations via the ferries were worked worked out from a big table if zones in each country. I'm not sure if this can still be done though. Trying random stations in brfares, it seems that fares are still available from Scottish stations to various RoI destinations via Carinryan. For some reason, Cork is not one of them. Gretna Green to Charleville any use?

 

[CallySleeper]

No I don't imagine they will as there is always online 'advance' fares available.

The €14.99 fare is only a promotion - fares will rise after Sunday!

You're probably looking at €21.99 or so minimum.

Just to clarify I was responding to yorkie's question "will they rise much" not "will they rise at all"

 

[berneyarms]

Just to clarify I was responding to yorkie's question "will they rise much" not "will they rise at all"

Well €7 each way is a bit more!!

 

[hurricanemk1c]

Current Enterprise workings are, I believe, just as "berneyarms" states:

Dublin/Belfast:
Mon-Sat: 09:35; 11:00; 15:20; 16:50; 20:50
Sun: 12:00; 14:00; 19:00

Belfast/Dublin:
Mon-Sat: 06:50; 08:00; 12:35; 14:05; 18:05
Sun: 09:00; 11:05; 16:05

However, updated diagrams for the Mark 4 fleet are as follows (should be in operation either this month or next):

Dublin Heuston - Cork Kent
Mon-Thurs: 0700, 0900, 1100, 1300, 1500, 1700, 1800, 1900
Fri/Sat : 0700, 0900, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1500, 1700, 1800, 1900

There is also a 0800 Mallow - Cork run on Mon-Fri


Cork Kent - Dublin Heuston:

Mon-Thur: 0700, 0920, 1020, 1220, 1420, 1620, 1820, 2020
Fri/Sat: 0700, 0920, 1020, 1220, 1420, 1520, 1620, 1820, 2020

If you're in Cork, for a photo there is a 0715 Cork - Mallow Ety to form the 0800 Mallow - Cork SX.

Don't know the Sunday diagrams to be honest

 

[Hadders]

If you purchase an IE Websaver far it can be amended for travel on a different train for payment of a EUR10 supplement. I had to amend my travel time when I did Limerick-Dublin last year (there's a trip report somewhere iirc). There was absolutely no problem getting it issued by the very efficient clerk at Limerick.

 

[Elwyn]

Consider buying your Belfast - Dublin tickets direct from Translink, especially if you got the 12.35 as you may get better rates than buying from Iarnrod Eireann in euro.

Wouldn't be able to comment on how busy services are, or whether it would be treated as 'one journey' splitting - remember NRCoC doesn't apply when you get to Belfast.

I travel from Belfast to Dublin fairly regularly. I would confirm that booking Web Fare tickets on the Translink site is usually good value. Taking Tuesday 3rd March as an example, if you travel on the 0650 or 12.35 ex Belfast the single fare to Dublin is £8.99. For the 0800 and 10.35 it’s £13.99.

The 0800 out is usually very busy. You will normally get a seat OK on most other services unless it coincides with a rugby match or similar. The 1650 ex Dublin is usually full as it has a lot passengers who commute from Dublin to Dundalk or Newry as well as those going through to Belfast. (It used to stop at Drogheda and they have dropped that call to reduce the loadings but it is still normally standing room only).

 

[berneyarms]

Irish Rail set diagrams on Dublin/Cork are changing from Monday, with an additional Mark 4 set entering service again.

So from Monday, the revised loco hauled diagrams will be:

Dublin/Belfast:
Mon-Sat: 09:35; 11:00; 15:20; 16:50; 20:50
Sun: 12:00; 14:00; 19:00

Belfast/Dublin:
Mon-Sat: 06:50; 08:00; 12:35; 14:05; 18:05
Sun: 09:00; 11:05; 16:05

Dublin/Cork:
Mon-Thu: 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 18:00; 19:00
Fri: 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 12:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 18:00; 19:00
Sat: 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 12:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 18:00; 19:00; 21:00
Sun: 10:00; 12:00; 14:00; 15:00; 16:00; 17:00; 19:00

Cork/Dublin:
Mon-Thu: 07:00; 09:20; 10:20; 12:20; 14:20; 16:20; 18:20; 20:20
Fri: 07:00; 09:20; 10:20; 12:20; 14:20; 15:20; 16:20; 18:20; 20:20
Sat: 07:00; 09:20; 10:20; 12:20; 14:20; 15:20; 16:20; 18:20; 20:20
Sun: 08:20; 10:20; 12:20; 13:20; 15:20; 17:20; 18:20; 19:20

Mallow/Cork:
Mon-Sat: 08:00

 

[yorkie]

Hmm, interesting! We were considering the possibility of doing Cork as a day trip from Dublin, but there were no loco hauled trains at suitable times.. but now there will be! Thanks for that.

Does anyone have any suggestions for affordable accommodation near a railway station in the Dublin area please?

 

[CallySleeper]

Well about five minutes walk from Connolly and Busaras surely your best bet, you've got a range of B+Bs and hostels on Gardiner St Lower, also Jacobs Inn on Talbot Place. Think there's a couple of hotels out towards the point but not really suitable on a budget I think.

Further afield between the Temple Bar area and St Stephens Green there's plenty of options too.

There's not much really of note out near Heuston AFAIA, you've got the Phoenix Park and Aisling hotels but again for these you'll probably be paying €€€.

Couldn't make any personal recommendations as always slept on friends couches and floors, but sure you'll be grand!

 

[yorkie]

We found a travelodge for 49 euros that's not far from the centre and near a LUAS stop, so unless anyone has a better suggestion, we'll go for that.

Does anyone know if there is a suitable ticket that would allow us on DART, Luas (and perhaps buses) for one day? I found that the daily cap on a Leap Card is 10 euros, though it seems we'd have to faff around buying one for 5 euros and then refunding it. We'd only be using it for about 3-4 hours, is it easy to do? Or is there a paper alternative?

It looks like the southern end of the Luas green line isn't far from the DART. Would it be feasible to get a bus between the two, and if so which stations are best served to do this?

 

[Hadders]

If that's the St Stephen's Green Travelodge I've stayed in it a few times and it's ok. As you say it's near the Luas.

The other Travelodge a little bit outside the centre is at Rathmines (although I don't think this is near the Luas). I've stayed in this one too and again it was ok.

 

[berneyarms]

We found a travelodge for 49 euros that's not far from the centre and near a LUAS stop, so unless anyone has a better suggestion, we'll go for that.

Does anyone know if there is a suitable ticket that would allow us on DART, Luas (and perhaps buses) for one day? I found that the daily cap on a Leap Card is 10 euros, though it seems we'd have to faff around buying one for 5 euros and then refunding it. We'd only be using it for about 3-4 hours, is it easy to do? Or is there a paper alternative?

It looks like the southern end of the Luas green line isn't far from the DART. Would it be feasible to get a bus between the two, and if so which stations are best served to do this?

There are no paper tickets any more (other than paying cash every time you travel) - you need to use a LEAP card. You can get one at any newsagent displaying the Payzone sign over the counter, or from an Irish Rail ticket machine in a station within the Dublin Short Hop Zone.

Why not then hang on to it lest you come back again rather than getting a refund? You're only talking about the €5 deposit!

Also the LEAP card can be used on city buses in both Cork and Galway.

Getting from the LUAS to the DART isn't quite as easy as you might think, but you can do the following:

Walk from Bride's Glen stop as per (http://goo.gl/maps/CFPI0) to Dublin Bus stop 5047 (stop on far side of main road) and take route 84/84a to Blackrock or 7 to Dun Laoghaire. Note both routes are roughly hourly from that stop.

Take the LUAS to Carrickmines. Exit via the pedestrian ramp, cross the road and take the 63 to Dun Laoghaire (every 30 minutes on weekdays).

Take the LUAS to Bride's Glen and walk to the N11 (http://goo.gl/maps/TtQRp) and take a 145 south to Bray. Then walk to Bray DART station (http://goo.gl/maps/6DSuG).

Bus times are at www.dublinbus.ie. Also the National Journey planner at www.a-b.ie is very useful.

You can check real times for the buses on the Dublin Bus website or on their app.

 

[krus_aragon]

Does anyone know if there is a suitable ticket that would allow us on DART, Luas (and perhaps buses) for one day? I found that the daily cap on a Leap Card is 10 euros, though it seems we'd have to faff around buying one for 5 euros and then refunding it. We'd only be using it for about 3-4 hours, is it easy to do? Or is there a paper alternative?

No real alternative that I know of, other than paying cash fares for each journey. There is a 3-day Visitor Leap Card, at ~€20, but the interweb seems to suggest that it's only sold at the airport.

The wife and I each got a regular Leap card for our week's stay in Ireland last year, as we'd save more than €5 on the cash fare prices during our stay (even though we never hit the daily cap). I didn't bother getting them refunded, as I fully expect to visit again.

Assuming you're not travelling in the next few days, you can buy a Leap card with travel credit pre-applied on-line: it will be posted to your house in the UK at no charge (iirc). That may cut out some of the faff for you.

 

[yorkie]

Thanks again for all the info.

How safe would we be to book the trains highlighted in red below (namely 1805 Belfast-Dublin / 1100 Dublin-Cork / 1820 Cork-Dublin) being loco hauled?

Irish Rail set diagrams on Dublin/Cork are changing from Monday, with an additional Mark 4 set entering service again.

So from Monday, the revised loco hauled diagrams will be:

Dublin/Belfast:
Mon-Sat: 09:35; 11:00; 15:20; 16:50; 20:50
Sun: 12:00; 14:00; 19:00

Belfast/Dublin:
Mon-Sat: 06:50; 08:00; 12:35; 14:05; 18:05
Sun: 09:00; 11:05; 16:05

Dublin/Cork:
Mon-Thu: 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 18:00; 19:00
Fri: 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 12:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 18:00; 19:00
Sat: 07:00; 09:00; 11:00; 12:00; 13:00; 15:00; 17:00; 18:00; 19:00; 21:00
Sun: 10:00; 12:00; 14:00; 15:00; 16:00; 17:00; 19:00

Cork/Dublin:
Mon-Thu: 07:00; 09:20; 10:20; 12:20; 14:20; 16:20; 18:20; 20:20
Fri: 07:00; 09:20; 10:20; 12:20; 14:20; 15:20; 16:20; 18:20; 20:20
Sat: 07:00; 09:20; 10:20; 12:20; 14:20; 15:20; 16:20; 18:20; 20:20
Sun: 08:20; 10:20; 12:20; 13:20; 15:20; 17:20; 18:20; 19:20

Mallow/Cork:
Mon-Sat: 08:00

 

[berneyarms]

Well they will all be loco hauled unless there is a failure.

No one can predict whether that will happen, but they are happening far less these days.

 

[hurricanemk1c]

There is a rail-only SHZ ticket (Bray-Balbiggan / Maynooth) for €11.10, but the Leap card is a better bet. I think the multi-modal cap is €10 per day (https://www.leapcard.ie/en/PageSett...SOs8Oi5WHyaggCxyPdGXNqCkz6KJl/C2vRG9pBSEkDcc=)

You should be safe enough for those services being loco-hauled, as per normal it could change with failure or other events