Rail services

Iarnród Éireann (or Irish Rail) is a subsidiary company of a State-owned company, Coras Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) responsible for operating rail services. Iarnród Éireann falls under the remit of the Department of Transport. The company operates passenger rail services nationwide and provides commuter rail services, including the DART service in Dublin.

Many stations have park and ride facilities to encourage commuters to leave their cars in station car parks and reduce the volume of traffic.

Free travel on State rail services is available to everyone permanently living in Ireland that is aged 66 and over. Certain people under that age are also entitled. Get more information about Free Travel.

Changes to ticket fares from 28 April 2025

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has applied a new zonal ticketing system for the Dublin Commuter Area. The zone extends about 50km from Dublin city centre.

Some ticket prices and types have changed. You can check the cost of your train fare on Irishrail.ie. Remember to tag on and off if you are using a Leap Card.

The 4 zones are:

• Zone 1 - remains unchanged and covers Dublin City Center and the suburbs. It includes areas like Howth, Bray, Maynooth, and Hazelhatch.
• Zone 2 - covers areas including Gormanston, Skerries, Kilcock, Sallins and Naas, Greystones and Kilcoole.
• Zone 3 - covers areas including Drogheda, Enfield, Newbridge and Wicklow Town.
• Zone 4 is the furthest from the city centre and includes areas such as Kildare Town and Rathdrum.

You can check the map (pdf) to see which zone your destination falls into. More information is available from the Transport for Ireland website (TFI).

The DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) runs along the east coast of Ireland from Malahide in county Dublin to Greystones in county Wicklow. Find details of the facilities available in all DART stations and DART timetables on the Iarnród Éireann website. You can pay your DART fares in cash or passengers can buy pre-paid tickets to get discounts on your journeys. You can also use Leap Cards.

Commuter services operate in the Dublin area between Dundalk, Dunboyne, Longford, Portlaoise and Gorey. There are also commuter services in the Cork area between Mallow, Cobh and Midleton. Commuter rail network maps, commuter rail fare information and commuter timetables for all services are available on the Iarnród Éireann website. You can use Leap Cards on commuter services.

Iarnród Éireann's InterCity services provide rail links between main towns and cities. InterCity services depart from Dublin's Heuston and Connolly Stations and serve the following destinations: Belfast, Sligo, Ballina, Westport, Galway, Limerick, Ennis, Tralee, Cork, Waterford and Rosslare Europort. The Enterprise service operates between Belfast and Dublin and is jointly run by Iarnród Éireann and Northern Ireland Rail.

Other InterCity services run between Rosslare Europort and Limerick; Cork and Tralee; Cork and Limerick; and Limerick and Galway. The InterCity service has carriages divided between first class and standard class.

You can find information about tickets for UK rail and sail services and for European rail services on Iarnród Éireann's web site.

Special arrangements can be made for passengers with disabilities, but it is recommended that you contact the relevant station or Iarnród Éireann's Mobility Impaired Liaison Office at least 24 hours before your journey and give them some details of your travel plans.

DART trains can be accessed directly from platforms and the trains have wide doors and a large area to accommodate wheelchairs.

Most mainline and suburban and all DART stations have public address systems giving details of trains and services for people with visual impairments. You can read more in our page about travelling on public transport with a disability or reduced mobility.

Guide and assistance dogs are permitted to travel on all services without restriction. Pets are allowed to travel on DART or commuter trains provided they are properly restrained. Dogs can only travel on intercity trains in the guard's van (non-passenger compartment).

Luggage should be placed in the specially provided luggage racks, overhead racks or in-between seat spaces. You must also make sure your luggage is not causing inconvenience for other passengers. Information on carrying bicycles on trains is available on the Iarnród Éireann website.

If your service is seriously delayed for any reason within the control of Iarnród Éireann, you could be entitled to a discount voucher. The value of discount voucher is based on the length of delay and the fare you have paid for your single journey (that is, approximately half the value of a return fare).

Refunds in discount vouchers are also given if your seat reservation is not honoured, and no seat of the same standard is available to you.

If the train you planned to catch is delayed or cancelled and you decide not to travel, you will be given a full cash refund if you return your unused ticket immediately to the ticket office where you bought it.

You must complete the Transport For Ireland Webform to claim any discounts or refunds you’re entitled to.

Property found on a service will be handed in to the nearest lost property office, within one working day. Lost property is generally held for one month. They may charge a handling fee to return lost property to you. You can phone 0818 294 015 or +353 1575 6110 or email lostproperty@irishrail.ie.

Fares

Tickets vary depending on the service you use. You can get full details of leisure fares, commuter travel fares and UK and European rail fares from the Iarnród Éireann web site. Prepaid tickets can be bought from ticket offices, ticket machines and online. Discounted fares are available with the correct identification card.

The TFI-90 fare allows free transfers between Dublin Bus, Luas, DART, commuter rail, and Go-Ahead Ireland services. This fare applies to most journeys in the Dublin area, whether involving multiple services within 90 minutes or a single trip.

Leap Cards can be used on DART and commuter services.

The Young Adult and Student Leap Cards allow students to get substantially discounted fares on Iarnród Eireann services. It is only available to full-time students in second and third level education.

Those claiming free travel must be able to produce a valid Department of Social Protection Travel Pass.

If you have complaints about Iarnród Éireann services, phone 0818 294 015 or +353 1575 6110 or fill out a contact form. They aim to respond to messages within one working day and to give a full response within 15 working days.