Sir, – I read with interest the article about Luxembourg’s free public transport system and the great success it has been, with “no pause to swipe cards, pay fares or pass ticket gates” and the interest from other countries across Europe “as governments seek strategies to reduce private car use and shift transport systems towards environment sustainability” (Naomi O’Leary, “A fare farewell: Luxembourg marks three years of free public transport”, World, April 21st).
My own very recent experience would suggest that Iarnród Éireann has a bit to do in respect of simplification of its paid travel processes.
To attend a business meeting in Belfast, I decided to travel by train and booked and paid for seats in the business class section, where I could expect to be able to get some work done in a relaxed environment for the two hours or so journey. I received a confirmation email with the details of my carriage, seat numbers, etc, and the reference number to enter in a ticket machine to issue the ticket for my journey. I parked in Connolly Station car park and, running a bit late, I rushed along the platform where the Enterprise Dublin to Belfast train was waiting, looking for a ticket machine. Not finding one, and conscious that I had about five minutes before the 9.30 train departure time, I asked the “onboard host” (as described on the Iarnród Éireann website), who was standing at the entrance to the first-class carriage, if I could board without a printed ticket, showing him the email containing all details of my paid booking. He refused, pointed me to the main concourse where the ticket machines are and instructed me to get a printed ticket in order to board the train. I rushed to the concourse, printed the ticket and, by time I arrived back at the platform gate through which I had just passed a minute or so beforehand, the gate had been closed and the ticket checker on duty refused to let me through. There were three other people who had also arrived with their tickets and they, also, were refused entry to the platform. The ticket checker pointed to a sign on the ground by the gate which stated that the gates would close two minutes before the train departure time (something which, as far as I can discern, is not made known to intending travellers who book online). I and the other three passengers stood for two minutes in exasperated conversation before the train began to move off along the platform, carrying onboard its lucky passengers who were able to (again, quoting the Iarnród Éireann website) “treat themselves to first-class travel and experience the difference; whether you want to work on your laptop, relax with a book or simply watch the world slip quietly by your window”.
Needless to say, I retrieved my car from the station car park and drove to my meeting in Belfast.
My simplification challenge to Iarnród Éireann is why not include a QR code (or similar) on your email ticket confirmation and obviate the need for passengers to seek out ticket machines to print tickets for journeys already booked and paid for? – Yours, etc,
RAY MURPHY,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.