Further outcry in Kildare over adult fare increases on public transport

The increases will take effect from January 2027

By Ciarán Mather Published 4th Sep 2026, 13:00 BST Further outcry in Kildare over adult fare increases on public transport | FILE PHOTOGRAPH / PIXABAY The increases will take effect from January 2027 Sign up to our Kildare Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Kildare Live within your account.

There has been further outcry in County Kildare over the announcement that adult fares on public transport are set to increase.

It follows after the National Transport Authority ( NTA ) announced yesterday (September 3 last) its intention for a 15 per cent bus and train fare hike, which will take effect from January 2027.

The move was condemned by Labour Party TD for Kildare South, Mark Wall.

And now, it has also been called out by a local councillor based in Newbridge . with specific reference to how the changes will impact commuters on the Dublin Commuter Zone (DCZ).

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Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender , this decision will impact Newbridge commuters.

He pointed out that under the new 2026 Fares Determination, most fares and existing products in the DCZ will now increase by an average of 15 per cent.

Furthermore, Cllr Pender noted that the increases come little more than a year after Newbridge was brought into the new Dublin commuter fare structure after much public pressure.

Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender standing outside Newbridge Train Station | PHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED BY CLLR CHRIS PENDER ‘INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING’

Cllr Pender called the NTA’s latest move is ‘an incredibly frustrating decision’ for Newbridge commuters.

He elaborated: “We spent years making the case that places like Newbridge needed to be treated properly as part of the Dublin commuter network; it was only in April last year that the new commuter fare structure actually came into effect for rail passengers in Newbridge.

“That change was supposed to make the system fairer and more consistent for people living in outer commuter towns, but 17 months later, we are now being told that many of those fares are going up by around 15 per cent; that is very difficult to swallow.”

Cllr Pender also voiced his view that the increases should not be considered separately from the continued pressure on household finances.

He explained: “The cost-of-living crisis did not suddenly disappear; people are paying more for housing, electricity, insurance, groceries and so many of the basic costs they cannot avoid.

“Now somebody getting the train from Newbridge to work is being told they will have to find another €29 for their monthly ticket.

“For an annual Zone 3 ticket, the headline price is increasing by €290; that might be presented as a percentage in a national announcement, but €290 is real money to a household.”

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Cllr Pender said that while he recognised that the cost of operating public transport has increased, he also rejected the idea that passengers should be expected to meet those costs through higher fares.

He continued: “I understand the NTA’s argument; fuel costs more, vehicles cost more, staff costs have increased, and more passengers also mean we need more services, more trains, more buses and more staff.

“But I do not accept that the answer is simply to send the bill back to commuters.”

He asserted: “Public transport is a public service; the State subsidises it because there is a wider benefit when people use trains and buses rather than being forced into private cars.

“There is a cost to providing public transport, but there is also a cost to not providing affordable public transport; congestion costs money, road expansion costs money, emissions have a cost, and lost time sitting in traffic has a cost.”

Cllr Pender also claimed that the decision conflicts with years of government policy encouraging people to change how they travel: “We cannot tell people in Newbridge that we need them to leave their cars at home, use public transport, reduce emissions and reduce congestion, and then make the train 15pc more expensive.

“If the government is serious about modal shift, then affordability has to be part of transport policy.

“For many people in Newbridge, commuting is not optional, because their job is in Dublin, or their college is in Dublin.

“They need to travel; we should be making the sustainable option easier to choose, not steadily increasing the financial penalty for choosing it.”

Moreover, Cllr Pender revealed that he will be submitting Freedom of Information requests in order to seek the modelling behind the NTA’s planned increases.

Lastly, he said that he had a ‘simple’ message to the government in relation to the price hikes: “Do not make commuters pay for your failure to adequately fund the public transport system.”

“Newbridge commuters have waited long enough to get a fairer deal; they should not be asked to start handing it back less than two years later,” he added.