Your passenger rights if travelling by train

Domestic Rail Travel
International Rail Travel (e.g. Dublin to Belfast Rail Services)
Making a complaint
Complaint Form
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Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail has developed its own Customer Charter, which sets out the levels and standards of service you are entitled to as a customer.

The Customer Charter deals with issues such as:

performance and quality standards
customer information
ticket refunds
compensation payments
complaints procedures

Many aspects of the Customer Charter go beyond the requirements of EC Regulation 1371/2007, particularly in relation to domestic rail travel, and accordingly have no legal status and cannot be enforced by the National Transport Authority. However, the Regulation does enshrine some rights for domestic passengers and guarantees extensive rights for international rail passengers.

Domestic Rail Travel

Passengers on domestic rail services in Ireland now benefit from measures requiring rail operators to:

make it easy for rail passengers to buy tickets
compensation for the loss of luggage
insurance
access for persons with disabilities or reduced mobility relating, at no extra cost
ensure passengers’ personal security in railway stations and on trains
compensation in the event of death or injury

International Rail Travel (e.g. Dublin to Belfast Rail Services)

In addition to domestic services, passengers on international rail services also benefit from:

providing passengers with travel information
advance payments to cover immediate costs of death or injury associated with use of the rail service
compensation for delays, cancellations or missed connections
minimum compensation of 25% of the ticket price for delays between one to two hours, and up to 50% of the ticket price for delays of two hours and more, when the compensation is greater than €4
assistance for passengers (including refreshments, accommodation and alternative travel arrangements where necessary) in the event of delays exceeding 60 minutes
providing free assistance to disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility at railway stations and on trains, subject to certain conditions (for example, requirement to give advance notice to railway operators)
a complaint handling mechanism for the rights and obligations covered by Regulation 1371/2007
defined service quality standards and an associated quality management system

Making a complaint

Passengers should always raise any issues or complaints they have with the railway operator. In Ireland this means contacting Iarnród Éireann/Irish Rail.

There should be an attempt to resolve any issues at a local or station level. If that proves unsatisfactory, or if you prefer not to resolve any issue at local level, the Charter provides relevant contact details for the Customer Relations services of Iarnród Éireann.

Complaint Form

If you are disappointed with an Irish railway operator’s decision and believe that the railway operator has denied you your rights, or you do not receive a reply within one month of making a complaint, you can make a complaint to the National Transport Authority (NTA).

To ensure efficient consideration of complaints referred to the NTA, it is advisable to complete the online complaint form, attaching a copy of all correspondence between you and the operator.

Keep the originals of all correspondence forwarded.

It is the policy of the NTA to acknowledge receipt of a complaint within 5 working days and to make a decision on a complaint within one month.

NTA Privacy Notice for Passengers Rights