Sligo to Todmorden SailRail

[tomoufc]

Hi all. I’m looking to book a SailRail ticket from Sligo to Todmorden on 27 April, according to the following times:


Sligo.................dep 09:05
Dublin Connolly arr 12:11
Taxi to Ferryport
Dublin Ferryport dep 13:55
Holyhead.............arr 16:10
............................dep 17:28
Chester...................arr 19:17
...............................dep 19:36
Manchester Ox Rd arr 20:33
Manchester Vic dep 20:54 (or later train)
Todmorden......... arr 21:18

I called Irish Ferries to book, but they advised me they can’t book the ticket from Sligo unless they can send the ticket to an Irish postal address.

They can book Dublin Ferryport to Todmorden, and that could be sent to my address in England. And I could of course buy a separate ticket from Sligo to Dublin. The cost of both together would be similar to the Sligo to Todmorden ticket.

But what if the Sligo to Dublin train were delayed, losing me my connection at Dublin? They advised that it would be OK to use a later ferry, as the SailRail ticket is flexible. However, it would arrive at 23:15, necessitating an overnight stay in Holyhead. They are adamant I wouldn’t be able to use the ticket for onward travel the next morning, however, as the train portion in Britain must be used on the same date as the day of departure.

So, some questions:

1. If I miss my connection in Dublin, would that mean I have to pay for my own Hotel at Holyhead, because I wouldn’t have CIV protection?

2. Is there another way to buy the full route ticket from Sligo to Todmorden (with CIV protection for the whole journey) from the UK (other than eg arranging to have it sent to a hotel in Sligo)?

3. Is it really true that flexible SailRail tickets from Dublin to a British station do not allow an overnight stop in Holyhead?

4. If it does allow an overnight stop, would one have to catch the first train the next morning (which wouldn’t allow much time for sleep)?

I realise similar questions have come up before on this forum, but I couldn’t find definitive answers on any of them.

(ps I refuse to fly!)

Thanks all

 

[THC]

Ah sure you'll be grand!

The Sligo line is generally very reliable - in the last reporting period, 92.3% of services arrived within 10 mins of schedule and 100% of services ran.

Redirecting...

THC

 

[tomoufc]

Ah sure you'll be grand!

The Sligo line is generally very reliable - in the last reporting period, 92.3% of services arrived within 10 mins of schedule and 100% of services ran.

Redirecting...

THC

That’s great to know thanks. I may very well chance it, but I’d still like to know the answers here - partly because of other things that could go wrong (such as Ferry cancellation), and partly because it’s just good to know what you’re covered for! Cheers

 

[yorkie]

Id there is an earlier connection from Sligo that you'd be happy to get, it may be worth trying to book that?

I don't know anything about Irish rail systems but if you were doing it the other way round, our booking site allows additional interchange time to be specified at any specified location of your choice (which is added to the minimum interchange time).

I would imagine that a ticket office in Ireland would probably be able to do the same.

 

[tomoufc]

Id there is an earlier connection from Sligo that you'd be happy to get, it may be worth trying to book that?

I don't know anything about Irish rail systems but if you were doing it the other way round, our booking site allows additional interchange time to be specified at any specified location of your choice (which is added to the minimum interchange time).

I would imagine that a ticket office in Ireland would probably be able to do the same.

Thanks. Without the ability to book a through ticket, the interchange time isn’t a relevant factor. With a through ticket, I’d like the itinerary above.

 

[paul1609]

I believe that sailrail tickets to/from beyond Dublin/Belfast haven't been available for approximately 4 years now. I think the tickets sales had fallen to almost zero and it wasn't deemed worthwhile to load the Irish timetable in to the British reservation system. So whilst the fares theoretically exist it's not possible to buy them.

 

[MrJeeves]

I believe that sailrail tickets to/from beyond Dublin/Belfast haven't been available for approximately 4 years now. I think the tickets sales had fallen to almost zero and it wasn't deemed worthwhile to load the Irish timetable in to the British reservation system. So whilst the fares theoretically exist it's not possible to buy them.

They're possible to buy from Ireland, just not from Great Britain!

2. Is there another way to buy the full route ticket from Sligo to Todmorden (with CIV protection for the whole journey) from the UK (other than eg arranging to have it sent to a hotel in Sligo)?

I believe it's possible to buy them from Irish Rail station ticket offices? I don't know how long you'll be there before your journey to GB, though, so it might not be something you want to risk.

 

[tomoufc]

I believe it's possible to buy them from Irish Rail station ticket offices? I don't know how long you'll be there before your journey to GB, though, so it might not be something you want to risk.

So I’ve heard, but yes it does feel too much of a risk to leave to when I get there

 

[paul1609]

They're possible to buy from Ireland, just not from Great Britain!


I believe it's possible to buy them from Irish Rail station ticket offices? I don't know how long you'll be there before your journey to GB, though, so it might not be something you want to risk.

When i tried from Galway 3 years ago they wernt, Galway ticket Office sold me an Irish Rail Ticket to Heuston and a sailrail ticket from Dublin ferryport to Appledore. It didnt really matter to me as i had a lengthy evening connection in Dublin which suited me. I think there were only a handful of irish Ticket Offices that sold them (not sure how many Irish Stations actually have ticket office tbh). My details were taken and I was asked if Id mind coming back in an hour or so.

 

[TUC]

Why should the Sligo-Dublin ticket be limited to Ireland postal addresses when these days people are buying items from all over the world online?

 

[Bungle965]

They're possible to buy from Ireland, just not from Great Britain!

Irritating as the fares from the likes of Sligo are there you just can’t issue any reservations against the ferry.

 

[MrJeeves]

Irritating as the fares from the likes of Sligo are there you just can’t issue any reservations against the ferry.

Interesting! I've just had a go and can reserve a journey on the ferry with a ticket issued to/from Sligo.

I imagined the issue would have been that you can't get an itinerary without the Irish Rail services in the timetable. I'd think a ticket office may well be able to issue the ticket alongside a standalone ferry reservation, provided the system permits this.

I've always hoped one of the TOCs would either bring back the Irish Rail and NI Railways timetables, or otherwise create some kind of fixed links between the ports and various NI/IE through destinations so that the tickets can be sold again!

 

[Bungle965]

I imagined the issue would have been that you can't get an itinerary without the Irish Rail services in the timetable. I'd think a ticket office may well be able to issue the ticket alongside a standalone ferry reservation, provided the system permits this.

Any TIS should be able to do this, a customer might have to explain that it would have to be done as the fare and then the reservation separately so I'd recommend a competent ticket office.

 

[poffle]

That connection uses the Swift fast ferry. These can be prone to cancellation during stormy weather. You'll usually get a text from Irish Ferries the day before saying that the Swift is cancelled and you can use Ulysses sailings.

 

[Mainline421]

They're possible to buy from Ireland, just not from Great Britain!

I believe that sailrail tickets to/from beyond Dublin/Belfast haven't been available for approximately 4 years now. I think the tickets sales had fallen to almost zero and it wasn't deemed worthwhile to load the Irish timetable in to the British reservation system. So whilst the fares theoretically exist it's not possible to buy them.

They're still available from any ticket office in the UK, the ferry reservation just has to be issued separately (although it can still be done in one transaction, and I've never been asked for the reservation coupon anyway).

 

[tomoufc]

They're still available from any ticket office in the UK, the ferry reservation just has to be issued separately (although it can still be done in one transaction, and I've never been asked for the reservation coupon anyway).

I presume you don’t mean Sligo to Todmorden tickets are available to buy at any ticket office in the UK.

 

[Haywain]

I presume you don’t mean Sligo to Todmorden tickets are available to buy at any ticket office in the UK.

I can't imagine they are. Any National Rail ticket office might seem bit of a stretch, although it perhaps should be the case.

 

[signed]

3. Is it really true that flexible SailRail tickets from Dublin to a British station do not allow an overnight stop in Holyhead?

Yes, SailRail have no break of journey allowed, it is very much unenforcable at Holyhead but some RPI (revenue protection) on the trains may take issue with it if you take a train much later than ferry arrival.

 

[tomoufc]

Yes, SailRail have no break of journey allowed, it is very much unenforcable at Holyhead but some RPI (revenue protection) on the trains may take issue with it if you take a train much later than ferry arrival.

Thank you. So overnight would be OK, if getting the first connecting train?

 

[signed]

So overnight would be OK, if getting the first connecting train?

No, you must complete the Britain portion before 0429 on day N+1 if you get a ticket for day N else you need new tickets.

 

[tomoufc]

No, you must complete the Britain portion before 0429 on day N+1 if you get a ticket for day N else you need new tickets.

Sorry I don’t follow you. N+1?

Presumably you would be allowed to continue the next day, if delay to the ferry forced an overnight stay?

 

[signed]

Presumably you would be allowed to continue the next day, if delay to the ferry forced an overnight stay?

2 diffrent things :

• If your ferry is delayed to the point where you can't continue the journey that day, then you would likely get reissued new tickets since it is under the CIV purview.
• If your inbound train to Dublin is delayed, being outside of the CIV purview as the consensus seems to be that they can't be issued that way anymore, and you get on the next ferry that forces an overnight stop in Holyhead, your tickets will be invalid and you will need new tickets

Sorry I don’t follow you. N+1?

Day N (April 27), Day N+1 is one day later (April 28)

 

[Tetchytyke]

I've not gone all the way through the booking process, but the Irish Ferries website appears to let me book the ticket, and appears to let me put a British address in for delivery.

Sail & Rail Special Offers | To Ireland & UK | Irish Ferries

www.irishferries.com

 

[poffle]

Yes, SailRail have no break of journey allowed, it is very much unenforcable at Holyhead but some RPI (revenue protection) on the trains may take issue with it if you take a train much later than ferry arrival.

The SailRail tickets issued in GB on "British Rail" tickets and the handwritten CIV SailRail tickets issued in Ireland have different Ts & Cs.

On the ticket booklet on Irish issued tickets para 6 of the Terms of use states:
"Break of Journey is authorised, without formality, within the remits of the period of validity, except for Saver tickets, where break of journey is permitted on return leg only."

Although there is a standard fare for SailRail tickets sold in Ireland and there is a premium if it is booked on the day of travel these fares are not described as "Saver" tickets.

 

[tomoufc]

I've not gone all the way through the booking process, but the Irish Ferries website appears to let me book the ticket, and appears to let me put a British address in for delivery.

Sail & Rail Special Offers | To Ireland & UK | Irish Ferries

www.irishferries.com

View attachment 175875

Thanks for this. When you proceed further, you are advised of a website error and can’t go any further.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Mar 2025 ==

On the ticket booklet on Irish issued tickets para 6 of the Terms of use states:
"Break of Journey is authorised, without formality, within the other mits of the period of validity, except for Saver tickets, where break if journey is permitted on return leg only."

Thanks. The quoted conditions don’t appear to make much sense, unfortunately.

 

[poffle]

Thanks for this. When you proceed further, you are advised of a website error and can’t go any further.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Mar 2025 ==


Thanks. The quoted conditions don’t appear to make much sense, unfortunately.

I've edited a few autocorrect errors on my original quote.

Effectively it says that on Irish issued SailRail tickets Break of Journey is permitted.

Generally the Irish issued tickets are more flexible. The one exception I've come across is in London where the UK issued tickets have a Maltese cross which can get through a London Underground ticket line but they generally won't let you through with an Irish handwritten ticket. Although nowadays you can walk to Saint Pancras Thameslink from where you can get to many of the south London termini to continue your journey.

I think a lot of the conditions on the GB issued tickets are to prevent abuse by e.g. people travelling to or from North Wales on intra GB journeys.

 

[Mainline421]

I presume you don’t mean Sligo to Todmorden tickets are available to buy at any ticket office in the UK.

Yes I do, prices here: https://www.brfares.com/!fares?orig=SLI&dest=TOD&period=20250302 (the Advance purchase ones are currently unavailable).

 

[paul1609]

I've edited a few autocorrect errors on my original quote.

Effectively it says that on Irish issued SailRail tickets Break of Journey is permitted.

Generally the Irish issued tickets are more flexible. The one exception I've come across is in London where the UK issued tickets have a Maltese cross which can get through a London Underground ticket line but they generally won't let you through with an Irish handwritten ticket. Although nowadays you can walk to Saint Pancras Thameslink from where you can get to many of the south London termini to continue your journey.

I think a lot of the conditions on the GB issued tickets are to prevent abuse by e.g. people travelling to or from North Wales on intra GB journeys.

If you didnt have break of journey restrictions an Anytime Single to Belfast via cairnryan would be much cheaper than a single to London Terminals for Senior Railcard Holders in Kent!

 

[Haywain]

Yes I do, prices here: https://www.brfares.com/!fares?orig=SLI&dest=TOD&period=20250302 (the Advance purchase ones are currently unavailable).

So they'll be available at ticket offices in Northern Ireland?

 

[MrJeeves]

the ferry reservation just has to be issued separately (although it can still be done in one transaction, and I've never been asked for the reservation coupon anyway).

I would recommend having it -- I was asked for it when using the Cairnryan-Belfast ferry.