Dart and rail fares to increase 3%

DART AND other rail fares are set to increase by an average of 3 per cent from next month.

The increases, sanctioned by the National Transport Authority yesterday, follow increases of up to 10 cent per journey which came in on Dublin Bus on Sunday.

Spokesman for Iarnród Éireann Barry Kenny said the rail increases would typically amount to about 10 cent per commuter journey. These increases would apply to cash fares, and prepaid, “smart card” fares would not be affected.

The National Transport Authority has also approved an increase of up to 3 per cent on intercity routes where the single-journey cash price is less than €25. Mr Kenny said rail journeys where the cash ticket price was more then €25 would not be increased.

The rises will come in on March 1st, with the exception of increases on annual “taxsaver” tickets, which will go up from May 1st.

Iarnród Éireann had applied to the transport authority for a 5 per cent increase across all of its “booking office” sales. It said the reasons for the increases were a reduction of €28.1 million in State subvention to Irish Rail since 2009; an increase in fuel costs of €2 million per annum; and a reduction of €34.8 million in Irish Rail’s revenue over the past two years.