A tale of two Dublins as new commuter zone sees rail fares almost double from nearby stations

Irish Independent

28-04-2025

Commuters travelling from north Dublin stations like Rush and Lusk are benefiting from cheaper train fares from today – but those travelling from nearby Skerries and Balbriggan are facing hikes.
Local TDs and senators are now demanding the National Transport Authority urgently addresses the disparity.
Under a major shake-up of rail fares in the Greater Dublin area, the cost of a Leap Card journey from Rush and Lusk to Dublin's Connolly Station has dropped to just €2.
However, passengers boarding at nearby Skerries now face a 30pc increase, with Leap fares rising from €3 to €3.90. For cash fares, the cost jumps from €3.90 to €5.10.
Under the new fare structure, Balbriggan and Skerries have been grouped into the Dublin Commuter Zone – along with towns in Kildare, Wicklow, and Louth – rather than being included in the Dublin City Zone like other Dublin stations.
Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee has branded the changes 'unjust and unacceptable', demanding that Balbriggan and Skerries commuters be treated as 'Dubliners in more than just name'.
'This is simply unfair. People living in Balbriggan and Skerries are Dubliners, and they should be treated the same as every other Dublin commuter,' she said.
'Not only are fares higher, but parking at the train stations is often necessary due to poor public transport connections between residential areas and the railway.
'We need to be encouraging more people onto public transport, not pricing them out of it.'
Senator Clifford-Lee is demanding that Balbriggan and Skerries be reclassified into the Dublin City Zone, to ensure they are treated the same as every other rail station in county Dublin.
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'Other commuters are seeing their public transport costs fall. Balbriggan and Skerries commuters should be no different,' she added.
'I am calling on the NTA to urgently review this and deliver fairer fares for the people of Balbriggan and Skerries.'
The NTA has defended the new fare structure, which introduces a four-zone system stretching out 50 kilometres from Dublin city centre.
While most passengers in areas like Drogheda, Laytown and Enfield are seeing significant savings, commuters in Skerries, Balbriggan, Greystones, Kilcock and Sallins are being hit with increases.
But critics say the reforms have deepened unfairness between Dubliners depending on where they live. Previously, Balbriggan and Skerries sat within the Short Hop Zone alongside other Dublin stations.
Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal West, Grace Boland, said she was 'deeply disappointed' by the increases.
'It's simply not fair. We are trying to encourage people onto public transport, yet we are increasing the fees for communities that are already poorly connected,' she said.
'I have been contacted by many concerned commuters and as someone who relies on public transport to get into work, I can completely appreciate their concerns and frustration around this decision.
'I have highlighted this unfairness with the Minister for Transport, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and An Taoiseach on the floor of the Dáil Chamber, yet nothing has changed.
'I have also had people contacting me saying they're going to drive to Rush-Lusk station and that road is terrible, which completely defeats our climate objections.
'But I can't blame people when they're looking at hefty increases,' she added.