Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Part of Dublin to Belfast rail line collapses

Options
  • 21-08-2009 7:33pm
    #1
    Yoda
    Registered Users Posts: 1,853 ✭✭✭


    http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0821/rail.html
    Friday, 21 August 2009 19:27

    A section of the main Dublin to Belfast railway line has collapsed in Malahide in north Dublin. It happened this evening north of Malahide station on the causeway to the estuary in Donabate. Iarnród Éireann says initial indications are that subsidence caused an embankment to collapse and that the damage appears to be quite bad. The damaged line was noticed by the driver of the 6.07pm train travelling from Balbriggan to Pearse station. The train had passengers on board but managed to stop. The line has been closed and there are currently no northern commuter and Belfast enterprise trains running as a result.

    That's going to cost a bomb to fix. Oops... Fianna Fáil spent all the money…
    Tagged:


«134567…20

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    mikemac
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,986 ✭✭✭✭mikemac


    That's a serious problem, could take a good while to fix.

    Well nobody was hurt is the main thing I suppose

    I would have thought a survey every few months could predict these issues? :confused:
    I'm no engineer, just thinking out loud here


  • Options
    #3
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    I dunno, always thought it was an odd place to put a railway.
    This could cause quite some disruption.


  • Options
    #4
    Bluetonic
    Registered Users Posts: 7,588 ✭✭✭Bluetonic


    Already a few posts in and Irish Rail aren't being dragged like lambs to the slaughter, must be slow evening on boards.


  • Options
    #5
    Bluetonic
    Registered Users Posts: 7,588 ✭✭✭Bluetonic


    mikemac wrote: »
    I would have thought a survey every few months could predict these issues? :confused:
    I'm no engineer, just thinking out loud here
    Lets all jump to conclusions before we know the facts. There is fast flowing water on the viaduct twice daily, July was one of the wettest months on record, a river flows into the estuary - theres at least one situation where a survey a few months ago would not have shown anything.


  • Options
    #6
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    amacachi wrote: »
    I dunno, always thought it was an odd place to put a railway.
    This could cause quite some disruption.

    It's called the shortest distance between two places - a straight line!


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Lister1
    Registered Users Posts: 726 ✭✭✭Lister1


    Any pictures? I heard on the grapevine that the damage was quite bad...


  • Options
    #8
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    It's called the shortest distance between two places - a straight line!

    I get that, though not much of the rest of the line seems to follow that logic. :P Just meant that anytime I've been on the line I've wondered how the main line north runs over something that feels so shoddy.


  • Options
    #9
    novarock
    Registered Users Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭novarock


    http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0821/rail.html


  • Options
    #10
    lostexpectation
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,082 ✭✭✭lostexpectation


    pics now jesus christ lucky no train went over that
    http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0821/rail.html

    000288d510dr.jpg


  • Options
    #11
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    lostexpectation wrote: »
    pics now jesus christ lucky no train went over that
    http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0821/rail.html

    000288d510dr.jpg

    Saw them, it's feckin lucky no trains reached it. Wonder how long this is going to affect services.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    Sierra Oscar
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 8,458 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sierra Oscar


    With damage as extensive as that, I am guessing commuters may face disruption for some time . . .


  • Options
    #13
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,707 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Depending on whether the other sections are solid they could have a bailey bridge in relatively shortly - if the other sections aren't solid it could be out a lot longer!


  • Options
    #14
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    Will inter-city passengers be affected too or will it just be 'commuters'.? :D


  • Options
    #15
    Lister1
    Registered Users Posts: 726 ✭✭✭Lister1


    Lucky there wasn't a major crash. Makes you wonder about the safety of the rest of the lines...


  • Options
    #16
    stop
    Registered Users Posts: 886 ✭✭✭stop


    could've been another Bray 1867...cept, I'm guessing more bodies. Very close call this was.

    Bray_Head_railway_accident%2C_1867.jpg


  • Options
    #17
    Lister1
    Registered Users Posts: 726 ✭✭✭Lister1


    Yep, I traveled over the line on the 5:10 from Connolly to Balbriggan(through Malahide around 5:25). Everything was smooth. Didn't notice any bumps at all...


  • Options
    #18
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Christ that's bad.

    Luckily FF spent the money wisely and passengers can transfer to metro North at Donabate, oh wait.....

    The whole viaduct must be under suspicion now. It'll be a LONG time before that reopens, if at all.


  • Options
    #19
    hoser expat
    Registered Users Posts: 181 ✭✭hoser expat


    I was on the 6:15 out of Pearse, that got stopped at Howth junction. Had to take a taxi home to Skerries.

    Irish Rail are absolutely bloody lucky that no train went over this, because looking at the photos it would have been an immediate derailmant into the estuary. Looks like a complete failure of inspection and maintenance to my moderately trained eye. This should never have happened in the first place....failures like that don't happen without warning.

    Unfortunately, I have no confidence in them fixing this in a timely manner (the damage is quite severe), or putting on a good service for the thousands of commuters that use the line daily. An express bus from each of the affected stations to central town is required at a minimum. A bus that accepts rail passes. If I have to take the 2 hour journey by the 33 bus for months I will kill someone.

    We'll just have to see what alternate plans they arrange......stay tuned.


  • Options
    #20
    Nostradamus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 621 ✭✭✭Nostradamus


    Scary. Could of easily been a bloodbath if a train went into the water at speed.


  • Options
    #21
    c4cat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 518 ✭✭✭c4cat


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    Will inter-city passengers be affected too or will it just be 'commuters'.? :D

    Well how do you think the intercity train would negotiate getting over that bit track?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    murphaph wrote: »
    Christ that's bad.

    Luckily FF spent the money wisely and passengers can transfer to metro North at Donabate, oh wait.....

    The whole viaduct must be under suspicion now. It'll be a LONG time before that reopens, if at all.

    Yes, I am inclined to agree with you about the whole viaduct being under suspicion - it could be a major problem. Thank God it was in daylight! I don't think we should rush to judgement though and start asking questions about CIE/IE's inspection routine as another poster is saying. It will all come out when the railway safety people report.


  • Options
    #23
    Bluetonic
    Registered Users Posts: 7,588 ✭✭✭Bluetonic


    Just to add there has been a 'spring tide' the last few days. Extremely high tides, as high as I've seen in the recent years.

    I wonder did it add to the issue.


  • Options
    #24
    Nostradamus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 621 ✭✭✭Nostradamus


    Lister1 wrote: »
    Lucky there wasn't a major crash. Makes you wonder about the safety of the rest of the lines...


    Now you know why Irish rail speeds are slower now than in the distant past. They are hardly very confident about them either it would seem...


  • Options
    #25
    kildarecommuter
    Registered Users Posts: 433 ✭✭kildarecommuter


    Will also have serious effect on TARA mines ore trains hope it does not mean a loss to Road freight permanently


  • Options
    #26
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    c4cat wrote: »
    Well how do you think the intercity train would negotiate getting over that bit track?

    I was just having a gentle dig at the poster Sierra Oscar who used the term commuter when he was, presumably, referring to all Dublin/Belfast rail users. RTE specialise in the use of lazy words like that and it makes my teeth grate - OK? :D


  • Options
    #27
    hoser expat
    Registered Users Posts: 181 ✭✭hoser expat


    Bluetonic wrote: »
    Just to add there has been a 'spring tide' the last few days. Extremely high tides, as high as I've seen in the recent years.

    I wonder did it add to the issue.


    I agree, but tide variation should still be within engineering margins. I think that somewhere an inspection should have picked this up.


  • Options
    #28
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    kildarecommuter wrote: »
    Will also have serious effect on TARA mines ore trains hope it does not mean a loss to Road freight permanently
    This will pose a major problem for the mine I would imagine. The ore trains are very heavy-how are the loads transfered in Dublin Port (to presumably bulk carrier?)? It may not be easy to even use trucks instead.

    Irish Rail have a lot of questions to answer. Looking forward to hearning Kenny waffle his way out of this one. I'm sure FF are wishing they had reopened Navan now. It could have been quite useful. But I thought the east got all the fancy new infrastructure and the wesht was being starved.....;)


  • Options
    #29
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,707 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Is there any sidings for Drogheda Port? Tara traffic could have to go out there temporarily IF there is one.


  • Options
    #30
    Bluetonic
    Registered Users Posts: 7,588 ✭✭✭Bluetonic


    hoser expat wrote: »
    I agree, but tide variation should still be within engineering margins. I think that somewhere an inspection should have picked this up.
    Just for reference here are the tide highs. Spring tides are the peaks, the highest of the year comes tomorrow.

    Even though it's Dublin bay you get the idea.

    Dublin_tide_range_2009.png


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #31
    Corb
    Closed Accounts Posts: 311 ✭✭Corb


    This could have been a disaster. Thank God the driver was concentrating!


Advertisement