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GREEN PARTY MEPs have welcomed a new ‘SailRail’ route that will combine a ferry and train ticket for travellers going to France from Ireland.
Two companies, Irish Ferries and Brittany Ferries, will facilitate the routes from Dublin and Cork to Cherboug and Roscoff in France.
Previously, Irish Ferries required passengers to book a ferry and rail ticket separately, and could later avail to a 10% discount on their ferry booking, costing a total of €110-130 – excluding the refund and booking fees.
This new ticket, which Green Party MEPs Ciarán Cuffe and Grace O’Sullivan have been campaigning for, will now combine the cost of both tickets and simplify the process, the representatives hope.
Both MEPs say the new tickets will incentivise passengers to choose a more eco-friendly and low-carbon form of transport than air-travel.
Green MEP for Dublin Ciarán Cuffe said the announcement “represents real progress in making available discounted fares between Ireland and France for those who choose low-carbon travel”.
“There is still much work to be done in synchronising train and ferry times to ensure better connectivity between Ireland and Frances. We also want Irish and UK train and bus companies to work with ferry companies to better align their timetables,” Cuffe added.
Cuffe, who says he is a “regular SailRail user”, hopes the future refinements will encourage more travellers to choose the SailRail, low-carbon option.
Recently, both MEPs, along with travel blogger Jon Worth, highlighted the challenges faced by Irish passengers for intercontinental travel.
Earlier this week, the trio hosted the launch of a ‘SailRail Manifesto’ which Cuffe plans to bring forward to other European representatives in Spain, France and the United Kingdom.
The document will be put together on the back of the public meetings that will consolidate audience asks to improve SailRail services and help more people to make this choice of travel.
According to the Green Party, trains and ferries are the “most energy-efficient modes of transport” as a ferry emits 1% of what the plane emits in terms of CO2 per tonne-km, and the train 8% for the same distance travelled.
Cuffe said Wednesday that he was “overwhelmed” with the support that the campaign had received.
“It’s clear that there is demand for better services, and that many more people want to take the slow travel route. Considerable obstacles, however, like price, timetables, and limited accessibility and public transport services to and from ports, are holding them back.”
Cuffe added that the challenges “can be overcome” and that he intends to highlight the issue in Brussels and “begin the process of improving this service for foot passengers”.
Commenting on the new route, MEP for Ireland South, Grace O’Sullivan said that there are discussions to be had over subsidising the costs of slow travel going forward.
“Our airline industry is massively subsidised with public money currently, and these subsidies should be moved into more climate-friendly travel,” O’Sullivan added.
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Suspect after Euro elections next year we’ll have zero Green MEPs, hopefully zero SF/IRA too.
@Oisin CK: hopefully zero oisin ck too
@Oisin CK: hopefully we have zero you as well
@Oisin CK: If you’re actually anti-Green and anti-SF you’re doing yourself a disservice with how you’ve approached that.
@Diarmuid Hunt: Greens will damage economy, SF/IRA will destroy democracy
@Oisin CK: So tell me Oisin, how long exactly have Sinn Féin been living rent free in your head?
@Anthony Curran: So the greens have been paying rent?
@Mick Duvanny: with the aid of HAP
@Oisin CK: you get more dense with every comment.
@Oisin CK: I didn’t ask.
@Mick Duvanny: made me spit out my tea.
@jiminybillybob: Sorry but the bould Oisin beat you to it.
@Oisin CK: and what will you have, ff/fg robbing the people,
@Oisin CK: great another lad with the shinners living rent free in the head……but it’s okay cos the likes of FFG haven’t nearly destroyed this socially and economically more than a few times
Already a regular sail-railer to London. Same service to France and Spain? Great!
@Tom O’Toole: But the Green Party ” announced ” it. Private companies are way ahead of the so called Green Party.
Ryanair is a public transport company for an island country. The Greens will soon be announcing this too.
@Gavan Hogan: I would take from
“this new ticket, which Green Party MEPs Ciarán Cuffe and Grace O’Sullivan have been campaigning for”,
would also mean, that some MEP, potentially the “Greens” did have some influence on it?
@Tom O’Toole: Used to get the Train to France as a kid, hitting the campsites along the west cost, They are well provisioned over there, a great way to travel. I assume this is only for people travelling by bike tho
2 hours by air from Cork to Paris, 27 hours via Roscoff and train, as they say on Dragons Den, for that reason, I’m out and won’t be investing today.
@Someone Financing The Welfare Leeches: OK, I checked again, Cork to Roscoff 15 hours as per the ferry company ‘s own site and 4 hours by train to Paris as per the rail website, so 19 hours travelling time as against 2 by air. So apologies I got the wrong information the first time, it’s still a huge time difference, but you continue to hide behind a made up name and be as insulting as you want.
@Sean Walsh: Time is no object when you can stuff your car with cheap and good quality drink. A great way to bypass minimum unit pricing.
@Someone Financing The Welfare Leeches: there is a glass house over your head…..sail rail!!!!
@Paul Cunningham: il second that.
@Sean Walsh: yes and that’s to Paris but what if the destination is a village on the coast or in the centre with no rail connection. Same story as rural Ireland then, you take your car on the ferry.
@Gerry Ryan:
or you hire a car.
Best of luck to anyone who wants to use it but I doubt the DAA is worried to be honest.
@Someone Financing The Welfare Leeches: *maths please
@Sean Walsh: you should also factor in hanging around the airport for check-in. there and return that’s up to six hours extra.
@Sean Walsh: Sure, the SailRail journey will definitely take longer. BUT, the journey by plane does not take 2hrs. You need to travel to the airport (30min-1h), check in (1-3h), fly (2h), collect your luggage (30min-1h), travel to final destination (30min-1h). Granted, the SailRail schedules do need to be tightened up either side. But, only accounting for the “in air” time is a false comparison.
@Sean Walsh: probably 27 if you start in Derry. RailSailRail
Hopefully the greens clicked there heels 3 times and said ,, i want to go home to cabbage land
@Trent: Is that where you live?
@Anthony Curran: no Anthony Curran i live with your ma
@Trent: In Deansgrange Cemetery?
@Trent: Ah, what’s it like to be 12 again.
They do realise there is a rail route from Dublin Through Wexford onto Rosslare and beyond or is Rosslare being overlooked like it was in the past. I’m fully aware we lack the rail connection from Waterford but Christ on a bike we have to fight for everything down here.
@Pat Barden: was just thinking the very same. Rosslare is by far the busiest port in the country for sailings to the continent and could have been included. In saying that the rail infrastructure does need a massive overhaul.
This is great news. I used to rail and sail from London regularly when I lived there, great way to travel.
Get the trains to meet the boats at Roslare too.
About ten years ago the limerick risslare kine was closed ….
Open it and double line up to letterkenny….go on you know yo can.
Rail in France is excellent
This might prevent the Cabbage heads from flying everywhere Business Class, contrary to their pontificating to us. A joke of a party!! Zero brains zero emissions.
The only way I would use a ferry/train is if it was also 10x cheaper as it takes 10x longer to get to places.
@Jozef Dobias: If they finally will tax kerosene and other stuff for airlines properly, at the lest the price might level.
I think it’s a good idea. Sail and rail to Britain is great.
Typical Greens. They are in power since 2011. One flaw with their Rail Sail plan. We have no train from Cork to Ringaskiddy. French have their ports sorted. Ryan , Cuffe, Sullivan and crew are talking about it for decades. Still talking but sweet FA action.
Maybe the plan includes cycling to Ringaskiddy. Alternatively drive. Leave your car and be fleeced in car park charges.
Or maybe just drive on to the Ferry as normal. What a waste of space this Green Party are. The Tax, Fine and Penalties Party.
Thankfully they will be wiped out in the next election.
@Max Cooper:
The greens have been in power since 2020.
(also from 2007 to 2011)
The greens have caused more anti climate sentiment than anyone. Clowns
@lWOk0fWf: don’t know if they get the blame. There’s a strain of anti intellectualism going around these last few years. Social media has allowed all the lads that didn’t listen in school to cast their uninformed opinions around as if they have value.
As usual, the Green In Name Only party haven’t done their maths.
The Ulysses ferry weighs 52000 tons, and can only transport 1900 passengers .
Anyone who thinks this is good for the planet isn’t thinking.
But, but, the ships are fired with coal, a hundred men, down below shovelling into the hot fires to get us there.
Sailrail seems like a lot of hassle for a family going on a two week holiday to France for the summer. Ferries are a great way to travel but realistically a family needs a car combined with the ferry.
Perhaps they will avail of it !?
Brilliant News They are all booking One way ticket
Hey slackers. Put some more track down ffs
Sailtrain to England Dublin London 55 euros
London to paris by bus 35 euros short journey than ie to France by ferry
I strongly suspect the cost of these combined tickets will be greater than the sum of the parts.
It costs about €90 to travel as a foot passenger with the ferry companies – plus the cost of a pullman seat or berth – and instead of arriving at an airport near your intended destinantion, you are left in Cherbourg or Roscoff with a possibly lengthy journey ahead. This is ok if you need your car and intend bringing back loads of wine, but otherwise the ferry is an expensive and slow option. Neither do I see taking ferries fuelled by heavy fuel-oil a particularly environmentally friendly option. At least the French trains are generally powered by nuclear electricity.
Incidentally, it is simple to book rail tickets online on the SNCF app.
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