'Massive fare hikes' on busy Tipperary train line condemned by local group

The North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership has strongly condemned the sudden and poorly communicated decision to dramatically increase fares on the Limerick-Ballybrophy rail line, warning that passengers in Birdhill, Nenagh, Cloughjordan and Roscrea are being unfairly penalised.

The group has described the announcement as a "stealth fare increase" after passengers learned of the changes through a simple notice displayed at stations, with no press release, no online announcement, no public consultation and no engagement with affected communities.

From November 2, the popular promotional fares, introduced to encourage passenger growth on the line, will be withdrawn. The result will see some fares increase by staggering amounts:

Single fares increasing from €3.00 to €10.85 - more than a threefold increase.

Open day return fares increasing from €6.00 to €15.60 - an increase of 160%.

Speaking on behalf of the North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership, Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh said:

"People are absolutely shocked by the scale of these fare increases and by the manner in which they have been announced. For many regular users, a single journey that currently costs €3 will suddenly cost €10.85, while a day return will jump from €6 to €15.60. These are extraordinary increases to impose on people with virtually no notice."

"What makes this even more frustrating is that communities along the line have spent years actively supporting rail travel and encouraging greater passenger use. The promotional fares were introduced to attract people onto public transport, yet now these same passengers are being punished with eye-watering increases."

The Partnership said the timing could not be worse, coming as households continue to face significant cost-of-living pressures.

"Families, students, workers and pensioners are already struggling with rising costs. Public transport should be becoming more affordable and more attractive, not less. These increases risk pushing people back into their cars, undermining Government climate objectives and years of effort to build passenger numbers on the line."

The group also pointed to the lack of investment in the Limerick-Ballybrophy route over the past decade and a half.

"For more than 15 years, passengers on this line have been promised improvements. Yet we continue to see limited investment, stations that remain locked and inaccessible for much of the day, and repeated calls for timetable improvements that have gone unanswered."

"Before asking passengers to pay dramatically more, Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority must explain what improvements commuters are receiving in return. Communities have shown loyalty to this service despite years of neglect and deserve far better treatment."

The North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership is now calling on all Government TDs representing North Tipperary to intervene immediately and seek answers from the Minister for Transport, the National Transport Authority and Irish Rail.

The Partnership is demanding:

• An immediate explanation for the withdrawal of the promotional fares.
• A review of the planned fare increases.
• Meaningful engagement with communities affected by the changes.
• Long-promised timetable improvements to increase the line's usefulness.
• Investment in stations and passenger facilities along the route.
• A commitment to support, rather than undermine, rail travel in rural Ireland.

Cllr Morgan Walsh concluded:

"This railway line is a vital public service connecting communities across North Tipperary. If Government is serious about supporting rural Ireland and encouraging sustainable transport, it cannot stand over fare increases of this magnitude. We are calling on Government TDs to act immediately, explain how this happened, and work with all stakeholders to ensure that passengers are not unfairly punished for choosing public transport."