Iarnród Eireann trains at Rosslare have connected with all Stena Line sailings since the May 2017 ferry timetable change (except the 08:00 sailing to Fishguard).
The overnight sailing from Fishguard has always had a rail connection at Rosslare to Dublin.
Hannons coaches run coaches twice a day from Lurgan to Belfast onto the ferry and then onto Glasgow.
Oh no. It's finally happened.
The SailRail coach was always very empty though. Most of the the times I've used it there were less than 10 people on the coach. I'd always feared that someone would notice the loadings and make this decision.
Hopefully, at the very least, tickets will be made available on the 7:30am sailing out of Belfast and the 7:30pm out of Cairnryan with you having to make your own way between Cairnryan ferry and Stranraer station. The short taxi ride isn't that bad.
I've already asked Stena about this (no reply yet) but if you care why not ask too?
Without this option it'll be impossible to use SailRail to and from quite large parts of the UK.
Hannons coaches run coaches twice a day from Lurgan to Belfast onto the ferry and then onto Glasgow.
They use the 7:30am & 10:30am sailings from Belfast and the 3:30pm and 7:30pm sailings on the way back.
https://hannoncoach.com/belfast-glasgow-timetable/
Mr Toad
Well if they're going to cancel the bus from Ayr then integrating the Stranraer Cairnryan bus which operates anyway would allow Sailrail passengers to continue to have a choice of crossings. However I don't know how much time it would add?
The man on seat 61 has tweeted that the tickets are valid on any sailing and suggests a taxi to/from Stranraer.
Ah. Still an additional expense anyway compared to a bus, which runs anyway and just needs to tweak its times.
I did almost exactly this (from Belfast) this summer - with bicycle. The bus service to Ayr does not accept bikes, so a 5 mile ride to Stranraer was our only option at the UK end. The grip on the train accepted the tickets - not sure if he should as technically they're valid from Ayr on the train only perhaps..
To be pedantic the ferries go from Salford!
They do, but the boat is (was) a ferry and it does sail from Greater Manchester. I thought it was close enough to be worth making the joke... although in my defence Wikipedia says
(and maybe I wrote it to advertise the trips too: it is well worth doing - once!)
If politicians etc are serious about making train/ferries more attractive v the plane: a combination of train/coaches/ferry seems to me to be the most cost effective & attractive to the average customer.
If politicians etc are serious about making train/ferries more attractive v the plane: a combination of train/coaches/ferry seems to me to be the most cost effective & attractive to the average customer.
e.g to board a train anywhere in the UK then take a coach from Ayr (ideally Stranraer) drive the coach straight into the ferry. Leave your cases on the coach enjoy on board facilities. At Belfast drive off the ferry to Belfast city centre and onward train connections....
The same could apply at Dover rail station direct via the ferry to Calais or Boulogne for onwards train connections. This could be done at a fraction of the cost of major infrastructure development at ports to allow for the idea walk off the ferry onto the train. Can't imagine it will ever happen
It might be the quickest and safest way of loading the passengers onto the ferry with their luggage - compared with people (especially oldies and the infirm) tottering up a vehicle ramp towing their cases. The coach and driver might be a sound investment compared to the costs of delaying a ferry or having lots of staff stewarding people through a port area - which are often security-restricted.
It wouldn't need to be a modern air conditioned Neoplan. The coach I used to get from Dover Priory to the docks was a battered old Leyland National but it got me there on a 10 min journey.
Rosslare Harbour of the 1990s was the way foreward. Gangways leading from the ship to the terminal with the train just beside it. But that has been willingly abandoned. Examples for that are Stranraer or Dun Laoghaire.
When based in Scotland I occasionally had to pick up/ drop off crew members at Cairnryan usually as a result of disruption to air services. From what I could see the rail bus to Ayr mostly carried fresh air especially during the winter months.
