Cork commuters to benefit from cheaper fares from today
As Savings Leap Single The As This New Almost Route €9 On Of 50% Mean Cost Tickets Had Cork Fare €10 On The Mallow Will Much
Commuters travelling to and from Mallow to Cork city will be able to benefit from much cheaper fares from Monday as the route enters the Leap Card fare structure.
Adult fares will cost €3.90 one way when using the Leap from Mallow to Cork Kent, and €1.95 for young adults in what the National Transport Authority called a “significant change in the Cork commuter area […] which will benefit passengers significantly in the Cork region”.
Previously, single tickets on the route cost as much as €9-€10. The new Leap will mean savings of almost 50% on this fare.
An NTA document from last month said it had recognised the “evolving picture in relation to commuting in Cork city” and this had prompted the inclusion of Mallow in the Leap fare structure.
The NTA said: “One new zone will be created allowing passengers to travel from Mallow to Cork and all other stations in the commuter area for fares which are similar to that of the Short Hop Zone in Dublin. New zonal Leap fares will be introduced for all passenger types, including young adults throughout the commuter area.
“In addition, all fares will also benefit from the 20% fares reduction in 2022. This means that passengers will be able to travel from Mallow to Cork Kent or any other station within the commuter area for as little as €3.90 on Leap for adults and just €1.95 for young adults.”
The move came on foot of a campaign for many years aimed at introducing the reduced fare on the costly 20-25 minute journey.
Labour TD Seán Sherlock first wrote to the NTA in December 2016 requesting Mallow’s inclusion in the Leap zone fare structure but this was refused as it was on the Dublin line. Data released in October 2018 showed there were more than 160,000 tickets sold on the Mallow to Cork line from 2016 to September 2018.
At the same time, Leap fares have been in use across commuter travel such as bus services, as well as rail services on the Cork-Cobh and the Cork-Midleton lines.