Light at the end of the tunnel for fairer rail fares for Drogheda, says Nash

Louth Labour TD, Ged Nash says there is finally light at the end of the tunnel for Drogheda rail commuters with news that the infrastructure needed to introduce lower rail fares for the town, will be in place by the end of April. 

Deputy Nash says he has been “incredibly frustrated” at ongoing delays to the introduction of new lower rail fares for Drogheda, which have been promised since January of 2024 when the National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed that Drogheda would be included in the Dublin Commuter Zone, granting local train users access to the lower fares available within that zone. 

That was 15 months ago but local commuters are still waiting for the fairer fares to be rolled out. 

Deputy Nash said: “The new fares were announced well over a year ago and should have been introduced last September at the latest, but Drogheda commuters have been left waiting at the station, yet again.”

Following a Parliamentary Question tabled by Deputy Nash, the local Labour TD has now been informed by the NTA that the work to facilitate the introduction of the new fares is due for completion at the end of April.

The NTA told Deputy Nash: “The system and equipment changes required to accommodate the revised fare structure developed under the NTA’s recent fares strategy, are currently being implemented by Irish Rail and their specialist contractor.  

“This work is programmed to be completed at the end of April allowing the new fares structure to then come into operation.” 

Deputy Nash said: “I am pleased that this saga looks to be almost at an end but while the response from the NTA contains a deadline for the completion of works to facilitate a change in the fares, it does not nail down a date for the roll-out of those new fares. 

“I hope that when the NTA says the new fare structure will ‘then’ come into operation, it means immediately. 

“Drogheda commuters have waited long enough for this much-heralded change and 15 months have gone past since the announcement was first trumpeted by the NTA.” 

The Louth Labour TD said: “I have campaigned for fairer and more transparent fare structures for many years and I am deeply frustrated at the long delays in their introduction. 

“There can be no further delay, no more excuses. The new fares must be rolled out once this structural work is put in place at the end of April. Drogheda commuters simply cannot wait any longer.”