Laytown – Dublin €237 a month, Balbriggan – Dublin €145
9,764 going by car instead!
East Meath Fine Gael Councillor, Sharon Tolan has raised the issue of the huge disparity in train fares to Dublin depending on whether you start your journey from Laytown or Balbriggan with the Chief Executive of the NTA (National Transport Authority).
“The monthly rate for an adult from Laytown to Connolly is €237, whilst a mere six minutes down the line at Balbriggan it is €145” she said.
“If I want to take a trip to Dublin City to shop or socialise, or indeed meet with the NTA, it would cost €21.15 for a return ticket from Laytown, but if I drove to Balbriggan I could get a return ticket for almost half the price at €11.20.
“In fact, it would be cheaper for me to pay for parking in Dublin City Centre than take the train from Laytown, Gormanston or Drogheda.
Speaking at a briefing for Public Representatives of the latest public consultation process for the revised Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy, Councillor Tolan called on the Chief Executive of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham, to immediately address the issue of high fares for train users on the Northern Line to Drogheda.
“If we are to encourage people to leave the car at home and use public transport then we need a fairer fare structure for Northern Line passengers at Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda.
“The 2016 Census was an eye opener for everyone except the NTA, he Department of Transport or our senior decision makers” Councillor Tolan said.
“The commuter figures for Laytown-Bettystown showed 501 people were taking the train to work, 805 using the bus and a massive 9,764 travelled by car!
“Ms Graham told me that the NTA will be looking at a revised fare structure during this review, but this needs to be addressed now.
Tolan pointed out that 22,000 vehicles travel through Julianstown on a daily basis, many of them either driving to Balbriggan train station to avail of a cheaper fare or driving to work in Dublin as the cost of rail travel remains too prohibitive!
“If the NTA were to introduce fare parity with Balbriggan, 501 passengers buying a monthly ticket would result in a loss of revenue of just €46,092 each month, this would easily be recouped by the extra passengers that would be encouraged to use a more cost effective service.
“While I welcome the commitment to the DART + Coastal Scheme and the timeline of 2025 to see a service in operation to Drogheda, we also need to plan for two more train stations” she said.
“I recently secured an objective in our County Development Plan for a new train station in Bettystown and at Colpe, South Drogheda. These are two densely populated areas on the Northern Line, and the delivery of a DART station for both would further ensure we encourage more people to use public transport.
“Ms Graham again committed to an assessment of new train stations as part of the strategy review. I will be raising these issues again with government.”
