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The Journal
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Commuters need minimum of €2.50 on their Leap card to use rail services in new fare zones
ADULTS TRAVELLING ON Irish Rail now need a balance of at least €2.50 on their Leap card in order to use it. It comes with new fare zones introduced by Irish Rail that have expanded the area Leap cards can be used, now covering a 50km radius around Dublin. Until this week, Dublin passengers with short train journeys had been able to pay using their Leap Card but those from towns further away in the commuter belt needed to purchase a ticket. The new zones have been in place since Monday. Here's a reminder of how they work – and what they'll cost you. The Leap area is divided into four zones, which will have different fares applied. Transport for Ireland Transport for Ireland In Zone 1 , where train passengers were already eligible to pay with a Leap Card, the 90-minute fare will remain unchanged (€2 for Adult, €1 for Young Adult/Student and €0.65 for Child Leap Cards). Zone 2 will cover areas including Gormanston, Skerries, Kilcock, Sallins & Naas, Greystones and Kilcoole. The fare will cost €3.90 for an Adult, €1.95 for Young Adult/Student and €1.95 for Child Leap Cards. Advertisement Drogheda, Enfield, Newbridge and Wicklow Town will be included in Zone 3 and be charged €6 for an Adult, €3 for Young Adult/Student and €3 for Child Leap Cards. Zone 4 will be furthest from the city centre, covering areas like Kildare Town and Rathdrum at a cost of €7.50 for an Adult, €3.75 for Young Adult/Student and €3.75 for Child Leap Cards. Irish Rail Communications Manager Barry Kenny has explained that the new fares largely won't be reducing costs in Zone 2 but that there will be decreases for those living further out in Zones 3 and 4. Train travel between Dublin Connolly and Newbridge, for example, costs €9.85, while getting from Dublin Heuston to Kildare Town costs €9.75. The weekly cap for travel in all four zones for an Adult Leap Card is €67.20 'We're encouraging all customers who use the Leap Card to make sure to touch on and touch off for your journey, so that you aren't charged a higher fare than you're due,' Kenny said, speaking on RTÉ Radio One last week. He said that cash fares are also available for the journeys but that 'Leap will always be the cheaper option'. Changes to monthly and annual tickets will be applied 'on people's next renewal of those'. With reporting by Lauren Boland Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Journal
28-04-2025
- The Journal
Balbriggan and Skerries commuters unhappy Leap Card fares treat them like towns outside Dublin
A NEW FARE structure introduced today has led to complaints from rail commuters in the north Dublin towns of Balbriggan and Skerries that they pay nearly twice the Dublin zone pricing despite being located in County Dublin. From today, commuters travelling from up to 50km from Dublin are able to use Leap Cards for trains . Under the new fare structure, Balbriggan and Skerries have been grouped into the Dublin Commuter Zone — along with towns in counties Kildare, Wicklow, and Louth — rather than being included in the Dublin City Zone like other Dublin stations. Although Balbriggan and Skerries are in the traditional area of County Dublin, they are also located in Fingal County Council's jurisdiction. Balbriggan is also located less than five kilometers from County Meath. Balbriggan and Skerries commuters can expect to pay €3.90 for an Adult, €1.95 for Young Adult/Student and €1.95 for Child Leap Cards for a journey into Dublin City Centre. However, commuters in nearby Rush and Lusk can expect to pay €2.00 for Adult, €1 for Young Adult/Student and €0.65 for Child Leap Cards. One Facebook user commented on the Irish Rail page: 'I just would like an explanation why Balbriggan and Skerries are not in County Dublin according to the train, but other towns, like Maynooth and Bray, are. How can two town[s] IN Dublin, be excluded from the Dublin zone? Absolutely ridiculous. Explanations should be given.' Another commenter on the same Facebook post said: 'Ridiculous fare hike to Skerries and Balbriggan.' Politicians from commuter areas across the capital in addition to locals on social media platforms, have expressed their frustration at the increase in train fare prices for the two towns that are located in Dublin county. Advertisement Increasing fares and taking skerries and balbriggan out of the Dublin zones is shocking and a terrible management strategy. You'll have more people back driving on the roads now — Eoin Donovan (@EoinDonovan_) April 24, 2025 'Other commuters are seeing their public transport costs fall. Balbriggan and Skerries commuters should be no different. I am calling on the National Transport Authority to urgently review this and deliver fairer fares for the people of Balbriggan and Skerries,' said Lorraine Clifford-Lee, a Fianna Fáil Senator. She demanded that Balbriggan and Skerries be reclassified into the Dublin City Zone, to ensure they are treated the same as every other rail station in Dublin. '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,' said Grace Boland, a Fine Gael TD. She added that this change in the fare structure could encourage people to drive to Zone 1, where the fares are lower, which would be counter-productive to get more people to use public transit. Louise O'Reilly, Sinn Féin TD, said: 'While many commuters from outside Dublin will see a decrease in their fares under these zonal adjustments, commuters from two of the fastest growing areas in Dublin, Balbriggan and Skerries, are having their fares increased.' Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats TD, said the NTA and Irish Rail must 'urgently review' these new fare increases. A spokesperson from the NTA said 'the new structure links fares more closely to distance travelled, making the system easier to understand and more equitable for all.' They added that some passenger will see fare reductions, especially those travelling from outer commuter towns. Fares from Drogheda, Newbridge, Kildare, and Wicklow to Dublin are being reduced by 37–50%. For others, particularly those just outside the new City Zone, some fares will increase. For example, Greystones and Skerries to Dublin fares will rise from €3.00 to €3.90. 'This is not a revenue-increasing exercise on the part of NTA. The overall fare-take is not projected to increase as a result of this restructuring,' they also said. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
