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Bridge Twit gets to be on Twitter

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    #2
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,615 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    Pretty serious that he didn't stay at the scene of the accident. What if no one reported it and the next train came through and collapsed the bridge ? Very irresponsible from someone who is supposed to be a professional driver. Deserves to lose his license IMO


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    #3
    Mycroft H
    Registered Users Posts: 9,316 ✭✭✭Mycroft H


    It's a legal requirement to report a bridge strike. He's going to be in a bit of hot water....


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    #4
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,425 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Sorry, but if they have his reg, how is tweeting it going to help in his capture? Plus the chances of said truck driver following Irish Rail's twitter feed, or any other one for that matter, are probably close to zero.


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    #5
    Mycroft H
    Registered Users Posts: 9,316 ✭✭✭Mycroft H


    Alun wrote: »
    Sorry, but if they have his reg, how is tweeting it going to help in his capture? Plus the chances of said truck driver following Irish Rail's twitter feed, or any other one for that matter, are probably close to zero.


    It's an offence to strike a rail bridge and not report it. Gardai could follow it up.


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    #6
    Losty Dublin
    Registered Users Posts: 12,994 ✭✭✭✭Losty Dublin


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    Pretty serious that he didn't stay at the scene of the accident. What if no one reported it and the next train came through and collapsed the bridge ? Very irresponsible from someone who is supposed to be a professional driver. Deserves to lose his license IMO

    A bridge outside Gorey was struck and dislodged by a lorry and excavator on New Years Eve, 1975. Tragically it happened 2 minutes before a train was due which derailed, killing 4 people and injuring about 40 passengers and staff. Aware of the trains imminent arrival, a local man who lived by the accident scene got onto the track and tried to wave the train to a stop. He managed to slow the train down and undoubtedly saved more lifes.


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    #7
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    Mycroft H wrote: »
    It's an offence to strike a rail bridge and not report it. Gardai could follow it up.

    and should, however I doubt they do have these details and even doubt that is an official tweet.


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    #8
    Mycroft H
    Registered Users Posts: 9,316 ✭✭✭Mycroft H


    corktina wrote: »
    and should, however I doubt they do have these details and even doubt that is an official tweet.


    CCTV


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    #9
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,425 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Mycroft H wrote: »
    It's an offence to strike a rail bridge and not report it. Gardai could follow it up.
    OK, but what's that got to do with my question?


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    #10
    green123
    Registered Users Posts: 1,672 ✭✭✭green123


    Alun wrote: »
    OK, but what's that got to do with my question?

    his response to your post made no sense at all.

    Mycroft H

    why did you make that response to aluns post ?


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    #11
    Michael D Not Higgins
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 7,223 Mod ✭✭✭✭Michael D Not Higgins


    Surely this is just a customer relation spin that deflects rage from the company onto the truck driver. Nothing to do with actually getting the guy whether they have his details or not.


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    #12
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    Mycroft H wrote: »
    CCTV

    if that's the case, why not just leave it to the Gards?

    DO you know that or did you guess?


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    #13
    davetherave
    Registered Users Posts: 3,361 ✭✭✭davetherave


    Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »
    Surely this is just a customer relation spin that deflects rage from the company onto the truck driver. Nothing to do with actually getting the guy whether they have his details or not.

    How is it Irish Rails fault if some tosser hits a bridge with his truck and leaves the scene causing delays to rail services?
    Surely the truck driver is the one that delayed passengers should be angry at?


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    #14
    intellectual dosser
    Registered Users Posts: 1,826 ✭✭✭intellectual dosser


    I think IE are simply using Twitter to tell people that its important to raise awareness about Bridge Strikes. With all the main Irish newspapers carrying it on their websites they've done a pretty good job.


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    #15
    markpb
    Registered Users Posts: 9,253 ✭✭✭markpb


    davetherave wrote: »
    How is it Irish Rails fault if some tosser hits a bridge with his truck and leaves the scene causing delays to rail services?
    Surely the truck driver is the one that delayed passengers should be angry at?

    If they had said nothing, the press coverage would have been

    'Rail chaos for thousands after bridge strike'

    Now it's

    'Truck driver hits rail bridge and flees the scene'

    Spot the subtle difference that IR have managed to introduce?


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    #16
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    corktina wrote: »
    if that's the case, why not just leave it to the Gards?

    DO you know that or did you guess?

    They never posted his details on the twitter, they just made it known that they have them. It's also to divert attention away from them because they rarely give any information about why a train is being delayed, unless they can take a picture of someone who crashed into a level crossing.


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    #17
    Losty Dublin
    Registered Users Posts: 12,994 ✭✭✭✭Losty Dublin


    markpb wrote: »
    If they had said nothing, the press coverage would have been

    'Rail chaos for thousands after bridge strike'

    Now it's

    'Truck driver hits rail bridge and flees the scene'

    Spot the subtle difference that IR have managed to introduce?

    It's the newspapers who write the headlines, not Irish Rail. If Jane Cregan and Barry Kenny can help them along the way to shape the story then fair balls for it, part of their job is to massage the press and press releases where possible.

    Incidentally, Irish Rail did something similar to this on their Facebook page in relation to a truck which hit electric cables at Merrion Gates a few years ago and it worked quite well for them :)


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    #18
    Rashers72
    Registered Users Posts: 1,207 ✭✭✭Rashers72


    I was stuck for 40 mins north of Clontarf road station this morning on a Drogheda train. One announcement from the driver during the whole delay saying we would be on our way. We crawled about 1/2 mile in next 20 mins. Very very poor information to passengers on board trains.


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    #19
    markpb
    Registered Users Posts: 9,253 ✭✭✭markpb


    Losty Dublin wrote: »
    It's the newspapers who write the headlines, not Irish Rail. If Jane Cregan and Barry Kenny can help them along the way to shape the story then fair balls for it, part of their job is to massage the press and press releases where possible.

    That's exactly what I said.


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    #20
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,556 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    corktina wrote: »
    and should, however I doubt they do have these details and even doubt that is an official tweet.

    Why do you doubt it is an official tweet, given it is clearly on the official Irish Rail twitter account and has been referenced by them several times today.

    Frankly, it's about time drivers who do this do get the book thrown at them, and I hope that IE will continue to focus on these people.


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    #21
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,556 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Rashers72 wrote: »
    I was stuck for 40 mins north of Clontarf road station this morning on a Drogheda train. One announcement from the driver during the whole delay saying we would be on our way. We crawled about 1/2 mile in next 20 mins. Very very poor information to passengers on board trains.

    If there is a bridge strike, it is going to take a while to get people to the bridge to inspect it and then carry out the inspection.

    There's going to be a limited amount of information that they can give, other than a statement of fact that a bridge has been struck.

    I'm not sure exactly what you would expect the driver to say, other than repeating that the bridge has been struck and a team is on the way to inspect it.


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    #22
    Rashers72
    Registered Users Posts: 1,207 ✭✭✭Rashers72


    lxflyer wrote: »
    If there is a bridge strike, it is going to take a while to get people to the bridge to inspect it and then carry out the inspection.

    There's going to be a limited amount of information that they can give, other than a statement of fact that a bridge has been struck.

    I'm not sure exactly what you would expect the driver to say, other than repeating that the bridge has been struck and a team is on the way to inspect it.

    No issue with the inspection etc. But I do not consider one announcement in a 40 min delay sufficient. And in that announcement the driver gave incorrect information. We might have to agree to disagree!

    One point I would be curious on is when the bridge stike occured, and when it was declared safe to resume services.


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    #23
    Losty Dublin
    Registered Users Posts: 12,994 ✭✭✭✭Losty Dublin


    Rashers72 wrote: »
    No issue with the inspection etc. But I do not consider one announcement in a 40 min delay sufficient. And in that announcement the driver gave incorrect information. We might have to agree to disagree!

    Perhaps the driver didn't receive any information to pass on. I know it's little comfort to you but if he doesn't know either then there's very little that he can do.


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    #24
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,556 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Rashers72 wrote: »
    No issue with the inspection etc. But I do not consider one announcement in a 40 min delay sufficient. And in that announcement the driver gave incorrect information. We might have to agree to disagree!

    One point I would be curious on is when the bridge stike occured, and when it was declared safe to resume services.

    To be fair I would expect more than one announcement too, but in that situation there is going to be very limited information to give, as really the only updates would be that the team has arrived on site, and that the line has reopened.


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    #25
    Mucco
    Registered Users Posts: 714 ✭✭✭Mucco


    lxflyer wrote: »
    If there is a bridge strike, it is going to take a while to get people to the bridge to inspect it and then carry out the inspection
    I used to commute in the UK and was stuck because of a bridge strike on about 2 occasions. The driver immediately informed us, and the inspection team were out straight away meaning the delay was less than 10 mins both times. This was in the middle of no-where, so, in Dublin, I would expect a similarly fast response.
    While good information won't speed up the time taken to inspect the track, it is easy to provide and allows the passengers to phone ahead with an estimated arrival time. There is no excuse not to provide it.


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    #26
    Five Lamps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 687 ✭✭✭Five Lamps


    Michael D Not Higgins wrote: »
    Surely this is just a customer relation spin that deflects rage from the company onto the truck driver. Nothing to do with actually getting the guy whether they have his details or not.

    Exactly it. Read their timeline and you'll see angry passengers venting their views on the delays caused. The tweet reassigns the blame! As a side effect, it also got media coverage - don't strike a bridge and scarper.


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    #27
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,556 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Mucco wrote: »
    I used to commute in the UK and was stuck because of a bridge strike on about 2 occasions. The driver immediately informed us, and the inspection team were out straight away meaning the delay was less than 10 mins both times. This was in the middle of no-where, so, in Dublin, I would expect a similarly fast response.
    While good information won't speed up the time taken to inspect the track, it is easy to provide and allows the passengers to phone ahead with an estimated arrival time. There is no excuse not to provide it.

    If you check again above, I did say that I'd certainly expect more than one announcement in that sort of situation, but it can be difficult in those circumstances to give firm information.


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    #28
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    lxflyer wrote: »
    If there is a bridge strike, it is going to take a while to get people to the bridge to inspect it and then carry out the inspection.

    There's going to be a limited amount of information that they can give, other than a statement of fact that a bridge has been struck.

    I'm not sure exactly what you would expect the driver to say, other than repeating that the bridge has been struck and a team is on the way to inspect it.

    Whenever there is a problem they tend to just say "Signal Fault" on the announcements on trains or at platforms.


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    #29
    Zebra3
    Registered Users Posts: 13,854 ✭✭✭✭Zebra3


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    Pretty serious that he didn't stay at the scene of the accident. What if no one reported it and the next train came through and collapsed the bridge ? Very irresponsible from someone who is supposed to be a professional driver. Deserves to lose his license IMO

    Deserves jail time.

    Could have been responsible for scores of deaths.


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    #30
    Banjoxed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭Banjoxed


    davetherave wrote: »
    How is it Irish Rails fault if some tosser hits a bridge with his truck and leaves the scene causing delays to rail services?
    Surely the truck driver is the one that delayed passengers should be angry at?

    Indeed. Perhaps it was Irish Rail's fault that a railway line was in the way of the truck?


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    #31
    cython
    Registered Users Posts: 4,758 ✭✭✭cython


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    Whenever there is a problem they tend to just say "Signal Fault" on the announcements on trains or at platforms.

    Nah, they've gotten even more vague recently, with the all-encompassing "operational problems"...... Really? You mean trains running stupidly behind schedule aren't in fact an indication of no issues whatsoever having arisen?! Well who'd have thunk it?!

    Or the other recent chestnut of "poor rail conditions" that they seem to have started trotting out when they finally realised how ridiculous it sounds to say that services are running late "because of leaves on the track".

    To get back on topic though, I would be delighted to see the driver pursued for this and as far as I understand they have his details from the DCC crew that reported the bridge strike in the first place. Unfortunately information does seem to have been severely lacking, and while the drivers may not have had the information pass on, then it needs to be made known to those further up the chain that better dissemination of information is required, or even that any information passed down should at least be accurate, which is not always the case.


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