Pre-booking mandatory for travel on Intercity rail services until further notice
06 January 2021
To ensure COVID-19 capacity measures can be delivered, all Intercity customers must pre-book travel until further notice
Iarnród Éireann advises customers that it will be mandatory to pre-book Intercity travel in advance, for travel on all dates until further notice.
Government COVID-19 measures in place during this time permit 25 percent of capacity to be made available for use on board rail services.
Pre-booking Intercity travel will ensure the available capacity is effectively managed, providing rail customers with a safe and sanitary travelling environment. See our guide below on what services would be deemed as Intercity.
Intercity travel can be pre-booked using our journey planner, and customers are advised:
- Please only travel if your journey is necessary, and avoid peak and busier times if at all possible
- Seating will be unassigned, and customers are asked not to sit in seating designated as restricted, to ensure appropriate distancing
- Face coverings are mandatory on public transport and in stations

Terms and Condition Changes
For all bookings from 9th December we have updated our Online Terms and Conditions to provide customers with flexiblity to amend or cancel their ticket before travel:
- Low Fare - Your ticket is valid on your selected service only. Amendments or cancellations are allowed online up to 48 hours in advance of the outward journey, subject to 50 percent fee plus fare difference. Amendments cannot be made on tickets already printed.
- Semi Flexible - Your ticket is valid on your selected service only. Amendments or cancellations are allowed online up to 24 hours in advance of the outward journey, subject to 20 percent fee plus fare difference. Amendments cannot be made on tickets already printed.
- Flexible and First Class - Your ticket is valid on your selected service only. Amendments or cancellations are allowed online for free up to 60 minutes in advance of the outward journey. Amendments cannot be made on tickets already printed.
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Level 5 arrangements : For customers who now must cancel or amend Intercity travel as a result of level 5 arrangements introduced by Government from 27th December or 6th January, you will not be charged for cancelling or amending travel. Arrangements are as follows:
- Low-flex, semi-flex or printed tickets: Please contact Customer Care for cancellations. For amendments, you may use your existing ticket in conjunction with a seat reservation booked through the with 'Free Travel Pass or valid ticket holders' option on the Journey Planner.
- Fully flexible and first class: Amendments or cancellations are allowed online for free up to 60 minutes in advance of the outward journey
- Booking single tickets give you the freedom to change your journey should your plans change!
- Single tickets are always half the price of a return ticket, making it’s easy to book two singles without it costing more!

- Holders of existing tickets (e.g open returns, season tickets, DSP free travel) can also pre-book their Intercity reservations during these dates free of charge on Iarnród Éireann services with the 'Free Travel Pass or valid ticket holders' option on the Journey Planner.
- Please note for journeys that require Luas transfers between Dublin Heuston and Dublin Connolly the standard Luas fare will apply. Customers are advised to book each leg of their journey separately.
- We are continuing to implement enhanced cleaning and sanitisation measures on trains and at stations, with a focus on customer touchpoints. Click for full details on train travel during COVID-19.
- Catering services remains suspended on board Intercity, and alcohol is prohibited on all trains
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What services require mandatory pre-booking? All Intercity services require mandatory pre-booking, including from intermediate stops on these services, namely:
- Services between Dublin Heuston and Cork, Tralee, Limerick, Galway, Westport, Waterford, including those boarding at intermediate stations
- Services between Connolly and Belfast, Sligo and Rosslare Europort, including those boarding at intermediate stations
- Services between Cork and Tralee, between Limerick and Galway, between Limerick and Ballybrophy (via Nenagh), and between Limerick and Waterford, including for those boarding at intermediate stations
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What services do not require mandatory pre-booking? Services which originate within Commuter travel areas, including:
- DART services
- Northern Commuter (Dundalk/Drogheda to Dublin), Western Commuter (Maynooth/M3 Parkway to Dublin), South-Western Commuter (Portlaoise/Kildare to Dublin)
- Cork to Midleton, Cork to Cobh, Cork to Mallow
Iarnród Éireann thanks customers for pre-booking their Intercity travel, and for their continued cooperation and overwhelming compliance with measures in place during COVID-19.
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