THE SDLP’s Mark H Durkan has welcomed confirmation from the Department for Infrastructure that promotional Derry to Dublin railway fares will be made available by February 2020.
Said the Foyle MLA: “I am delighted that Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has responded positively to concerns I raised with her around the inability of passengers from Derry to avail of promotional fares to Dublin.
“I raised the pricing disparities initially in June of last year.
“It costs £14.50 from Coleraine to Dublin but £39.50 from Derry – that is completely ludicrous.
“And although discounted travel fares to Dublin from all NIR stations could be availed of using the Web Saver journey ticket, Derry passengers had difficulties accessing these type of tickets as a result of staffing shortages at the stations.
“As a result of the improved opening hours and additional staff resources now in place at the new North West Multimodal Transport Hub, it has been confirmed that the facility for passengers to collect these tickets will be made available from early February 2020.”
He added: “The Derry to Belfast route has enjoyed a surge in popularity over the last year.
“We want to build on that momentum by ensuring that passengers taking the Derry to Dublin route can avail of affordable and convenient ticketing options.
“In order to deliver for Derry we need an ambitious plan for our infrastructure and that includes our railway.
“We must deliver a service fit for a modern city and provide more attractive travel options where possible.”
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