NI Railways Enterprise

MsJan
MsJan Posts: 30 Forumite
in N. Ireland
So I'm going down to dublin next weekend, was looking at prices online (NI railways) it seemed it would be cheaper to get one way for (friday £8.99) and get a day return (Belfast to Dublin) for sunday (£10). Instead of paying £25 overall. Also one way from Dublin to Belfast was 14.99 Euros from Irish rail website.

so I went ahead and booked two separate tickets (one oneway and a day return (total £18.99). I've just checked the small prints for day return and it says that I must collect my tickets at departure station ticket office on day of travel, which is going to be a bit of problem seeing as I would be in Dublin on Sunday.. is this going to be a huge issue?! can I just get on the train with my online confirmation or do I have to buy a ticket again..? Has anyone been through this before?!

Comments

  • D.A.
    D.A. Posts: 1,159 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    They won't let you on without a ticket. You've made a booboo.

    You'll have lost the money for the day return. Your best option now is to go on the Irish rail website and buy a single from Dublin to Belfast.

    Ticketing on the Enterprise really is farcical - for two singles to be cheaper than a monthly return is ridiculous. Likewise for a monthly return to be more expensive than a day return - it costs them the same amount to transport you regardless of when you return!

    Although this is Translink we're talking about. Still stuck in the 1970s...
  • MsJan
    MsJan Posts: 30 Forumite
    Awk no.. I thought I was saving money.. :(
    Thanks for letting me know D.A
    That really sucks..
  • belfastgirl23
    belfastgirl23 Posts: 8,025 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary I've been Money Tipped!
    D.A. wrote: »
    They won't let you on without a ticket. You've made a booboo.

    You'll have lost the money for the day return. Your best option now is to go on the Irish rail website and buy a single from Dublin to Belfast.

    Ticketing on the Enterprise really is farcical - for two singles to be cheaper than a monthly return is ridiculous. Likewise for a monthly return to be more expensive than a day return - it costs them the same amount to transport you regardless of when you return!

    Although this is Translink we're talking about. Still stuck in the 1970s...

    Totally wrong there, more like the 1960s :)
  • jenheiffer
    jenheiffer Posts: 395 Forumite
    They also have a really stupid archaic method of selling tickets on the internet.

    You have to wait for them to send a confirmation BY POST (rather than letting you print it) which you then have to take to the station on the day of travel to exchange for a ticket.

    If the post is delayed they take no responsibility.

    I complained to them about this and they more or less said that was just the way their system worked and they had no plans to change it, so - TOUGH..:(
  • Wee_Bargain_Hunter
    Wee_Bargain_Hunter Posts: 968 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Yes their system is essentially paper based and a bit rubbish. The on-line discounts are good though. One tip - get to the ticket office early to exchange your voucher. The queues can be bad sometimes.
  • belfastgirl23
    belfastgirl23 Posts: 8,025 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary I've been Money Tipped!
    Lets face it you have to be there crazy early anyway if you want a seat since there's no prebooking seats. And no quiet carriages. It's truly rubbish!
  • MsJan
    MsJan Posts: 30 Forumite
    Just thought I'd update you guys..
    As suggested I bought a new ticket from Irish Rails website, which was simple - given reservation code and easily picked up at the ticket machine at the station, no messing about with this so called 'voucher'!
    It was the same train but I was able to prebook my seat with Irish Rails, which was really good as the train journey back was fully booked and people were standing everywhere.. so I guess I was lucky.. although i did end up losing my £10 thanks to NI Railways (part my fault), but i've learnt not to do that again!
  • D.A.
    D.A. Posts: 1,159 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    NI Railways really is a complete shambles.
  • marcowil
    marcowil Posts: 687 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    edited 19 December 2012 at 5:14PM
    I had friends head back to Dublin after 3 days in Belfast last week.

    They arrived, well in time, for the Enterprise service they had prebooked but it was cancelled. No reasons, no-one to tell them why or what was happening. THEY had to seek someone out and ask.

    They were told to get on a train sitting where the Enterprise should have been. This was an old bog-standard "local" service train, with no heating and no buffet service.

    I complained to NIR on their behalf and the reply I got stated basically that they got what they paid for - apparently a train which takes longer, has no heating and no buffet facilities is equivalent to the Enterprise "standard service".

    I replied questioning this reasoning but am still awaiting a reply
    The Daily Mail
    Tagline - "Why let the truth get in the way of a story to incense Middle England"
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