Irish Rail fare changes and new ‘Dublin commuter zone’ to take effect from Monday

Dublin and commuter areas to be divided into four zones under new fare system

The new 'Dublin commuter zone' will replace and extend significantly further than the 'short hop zone'. Photograph: Irish Rail
The new 'Dublin commuter zone' will replace and extend significantly further than the 'short hop zone'. Photograph: Irish Rail

Irish Rail is implementing train fare and zonal adjustments from next Monday, resulting in significant changes for commuters across greater Dublin and beyond.

The State-owned train provider said the journey price changes are being brought in as part of the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) latest “fares determination”.

A new Transport for Ireland zonal structure will come into force. The “Dublin commuter zone” will replace the “short hop zone”, extending significantly further than its predecessor.

The Dublin commuter zone breaks the city and commuter areas as far as Kildare Town, Rathdrum and Navan into four based on proximity to the city centre, mirroring a similar zonal system in place in London.

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Dublin city zone 1 covers the central city and its suburbs, extending past Dublin Airport to Rush and Donabate on the north side and goes as far south as Shankill and Bray in Co Wicklow.

Irish Rail said fares will reduce in the areas now part of zones 3 and 4, while there will be a mixture of increases and reductions in zone 2. Routes running between central Dublin and Balbriggan, Skerries, Kilcock, Sallins and Naas, as well as between Dublin and Greystones and Kilcoole, will see a rise in fare prices.

A Transport for Ireland depiction of a new zonal system that will take effect from Monday. Graphic: Irish Rail
A Transport for Ireland depiction of a new zonal system that will take effect from Monday. Graphic: Irish Rail

There will be a fare reduction between Dublin and Gormanstown, and to and from Drogheda, Laytown, Enfield, Newbridge, Kildare, Wicklow and Rathdrum.

Changes will apply across adult, young adult, student and child fares.

The daily and weekly leap card fare cap will apply to the Dublin city zone only. Epurse leap cards will be valid across a wider area.

Several changes are also being introduced on Monday that affect the intercity Luas.

Some rail ticket types are to be discontinued including adult, student and child weekly and monthly tickets, and off-peak fares from Drogheda, Laytown, Gormanston, Newbridge and Kildare.