IARNRÓD ÉIREANN has defended increases of up to 66 per cent in the price of first-class upgrades on its Dublin-Cork services, writes Paul Cullen.
Last Wednesday, the company increased the cost of an upgrade from €12 to €20 per journey on off-peak trains.
The supplement for a first-class seat on peak services was increased from €32 to €35. Some fares on the Dublin-Sligo line were also increased by an average of €1.50 to €2.
Iarnród Éireann spokesman Barry Kenny said since new trains were put on the Dublin-Cork route, the standard of all services was very high. Previously, off-peak trains had been of a lower standard.
“The service now is immeasurably superior to what was there before,” he said, and this was the reason for the increase in supplement charges.