31 Oct 2017
Posted by Chris Jones 
Many thousands of commuters face disruption on Tuesday 7th November due to a second day of strike action called by Irish Rail unions, as Conor Faughnan recently discussed on TV’s The Tonight Show.
HOW LONG WILL THE STRIKE LAST?
In addition to Tuesday 7th November, further strikes are planned for 14th and 23rd November, and 8th December. There’s no guarantee that these will go ahead; however, it’s also possible that strike action will continue after these dates. Check back here for the latest news.
ARE ALL SERVICES AFFECTED?
Yes, Irish Rail has confirmed that its trains “will not operate across Intercity, DART and Commuter routes.”
Belfast/Dublin Enterprise services will operate between Belfast and Newry only, in each direction.
HOW DO I GET A REFUND?
Irish Rail say that if you booked online to travel on the day of the strike, your booking will be cancelled and you will receive an automatic refund seven days before the date in question (e.g. 7th November for a booking on 14th November). Remember to allow three to five days for your bank to process the refund.
If you have a monthly or annual season ticket, you will have the opportunity to apply for a refund to cover the days affected by strike action. This will be done in a single process once the industrial action has finished.
If you bought a ticket at a station for travel on one of the strike days, you should collect a refund from the station or see here.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TRAFFIC?
With over 150,000 journeys effectively being cancelled on each strike day, we anticipate a significant increase in traffic on the major commuter routes and in the major cities. Keep up-to-date on any delays by checking our website, app, Twitter and radio reports.
WHAT OTHER TRANSPORT OPTIONS DO I HAVE?
For many journeys, travel by bus or coach could be a suitable alternative. Transport For Ireland’s website allows you to plan your journey using a combination of operators.
Buses and coaches are expected to be very busy as a result of the extra demand, so make sure to book ahead and arrive at the stop well ahead of your departure time.
Note that other transport operators will not accept rail tickets on strike days.
As always, keep up to date with the latest news at AA Roadwatch and the AA app.
