Northern Ireland passengers 'charged double' for Enterprise trains from Belfast to Dublin

Passengers travelling by train to the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland are effectively "paying double" compared to those travelling the opposite direction, it has emerged.

An adult single on the Translink Enterprise service from Belfast Lanyon Place to Dublin Connolly Station is priced at £33, compared to just €15.99 if travelling with Irish Rail. However, when attempting to book a train ticket on Irish Rail, if your journey originates in Northern Ireland you are redirected to the Translink website.

The best value train ticket from Belfast to Dublin is Translink's Enterprise Web Saver, which is priced at £17.49 at peak periods and £14.99 off-peak. These tickets can only be purchased online up to 24 hours prior to departure, are non-refundable, and non-transferrable.

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However, even these cheaper tickets are more expensive than the typical journey with Irish Rail if travelling from the Republic of Ireland. Translink said fares in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are subsidised in different ways and to different levels, with public transport fares in the south 20% subsidised across the board.

SDLP infrastructure spokesperson, Mark H Durkan, is calling for the Department for Infrastructure to invest in public transport. It comes as Translink announced its third public transport fare increase within the last 15 months earlier this month.

The Foyle MLA said: "Translink have been forced to increase fares, pricing people out of public transport as a direct result of a complete lack of investment from the Executive. Not only is the public footing the bill for their failure but it’s completely counterintuitive to the aim of encouraging people to use more sustainable modes of transport.

"At the same time governments in other jurisdictions are driving investment towards public transport and passing on savings to passengers. This disparity in action is perfectly exemplified in the ludicrous fact that rail passengers travelling from Belfast to Dublin are paying double the price than those going the opposite direction.

"If the Executive is serious about tackling the climate emergency, steps must be taken to make cleaner modes of transport a more accessible, affordable option for everyone."

A spokesperson for Translink said: "Enterprise is operated jointly by Irish Rail and Translink. However, each company has its own ticketing/IT systems, fare structures and special offers.

"Each fare structure is designed to operate in conjunction with each operator’s local network. Both companies are subsidised in different ways and to different levels.

"In the south the ROI government subsidises fares to a higher level and have discounted public transport fares by 20% across the board. We are working to ensure all customers starting their journey in Northern Ireland can book their seats online later this year when they buy their ticket."

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