[Article] Chief engineer takes Iarnród Eireann to High Court

monument

Chief engineer takes Iarnród Eireann to High Court

The chief civil engineer of Iarnród Eireann has sued the rail company in the High Court after being sent home from work on full pay.

It is understood that Eileen Kelly was told she would be demoted if she refused to lift a temporary 75km/h speed restriction imposed for safety reasons on the Newbridge-Portlaoise line. Kelly had raised concerns about the effects on tracks of climate change, including the risk of embankment collapse and flooding.

MORE HERE: http://short.ie/bhnfkw

How much of the line has speed restrictions on it?

Has / will the Kildare Route Project effected speed limits on the line closer to Dublin?

FlameoftheWest

Sounds like she is a bit of a headbanger to be honest.

Judgement Day

FlameoftheWest wrote: »

Sounds like she is a bit of a headbanger to be honest.

I think I would prefer the Chief Civil Engineer's opinion regarding safety rather than Dick Fearn's. However, this appears to be yet one more example of how utterly dysfunctional a company CIE/IE has become.

Victor

monument wrote: »

How much of the line has speed restrictions on it?

Lots. The Tipperary-Cork section isn't too bad though.

KRP does affect things as they are still relaying the fourth(?) track - you can't have trains whizing by at 100mph where people are working.

There are also temporary speed limits as individual sections of track have been relaid and are settling in. It is intended to completely relay Cork-Dublin over the next few years with UIC60 rail.

JHMEG

Is Kelly and engineer herself? Having working in the public sector myself, I've seen plenty of managers with no experience or qualifications in the area they manage.

Was she in charge when the Malahide viaduct was being inspected and subsequently collapsed?

Hungerford

Eileen Wilcock/Kelly is an engineer. She only got appointed to her current position in 2008. I would suspect that she would be more aware of the line condition than the chief executive.

What's interesting is that Dick Fearn is a common link between her case, John Keenan's and Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) one.

corktina

She's an Engineer and therefore her reputation depends on what she does or doesnt do.
The bit about Climate Change does ring alarm bells with me, but i wonder if thats just Spin? We cant really comment without the full details can we?

JHMEG

Hungerford wrote: »

Eileen Wilcock/Kelly is an engineer. She only got appointed to her current position in 2008.

Two questions: was she appointed or did she do an interview for the position? 2008 would mean the Malahide viaduct collapsed on her watch?

EDIT: quick google suggested she was an internal appointment from within IE. Were external candidates interviewed for the position?

AlekSmart

Its important to note Ms Kellys position as Chief Civil Engineer.
This could indicate an area where divergence of opinion between her discipline and that of Chief Mechanical Engineer (Traditionally,in Railway terms A Deity).

Either way it certainly keeps Dr John Lynch`s workload at a high level

dowlingm

JHMEG wrote: »

quick google suggested she was an internal appointment from within IE. Were external candidates interviewed for the position?

Sounds to me like she at least has been around a bit and not merely up through the ranks:

Kelly formerly worked in Germany, Slovakia, Thailand and Taiwan

A Dub in Glasgo

And his chief engineer, infrastructure, Eileen Wilcock, though from County Mayo, gained her civil engineering degree in London, went on to work for Deutsche Bahn (German Railways), then travelled the world with DB’s consulting division before returning to Ireland.

http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/international/2007/11/12-irish-state-vision.html

JHMEG

The lack of specifics has me curious.

Did she join DB straight out of college and travelled around essentially as a graduate for a couple of years? Joined IE at a young age and has been promoted in the absence of external competition since?

Again am curious as to why her superiors feel she's wrong. In my own public sector experience that happens when one manager doesn't think another is up to the job.

dowlingm

JHMEG wrote: »

Again am curious as to why her superiors feel she's wrong. In my own public sector experience that happens when one manager doesn't think another is up to the job.

I wonder what if anything the RSC will have to say. If it's a matter of safety you'd think they should be the tiebreaker.

merengueca

Was the instruction to go out and remove the speed immediately or to ensure plans were produced and implemented to ensure the line could be returned to operational speed?

More concerning the fractious nature of the senior management team in IE. I assume the company works with the view that all lines should run at full line speed at all times, though at times unavoidable TSR's should have a planned removal date once they have been imposed (regardless of the level of work required - rail change through to major civils project).

If the Chief Civil Engineer feels the speed cannot be safely reinstated I assume this decision can be substantiated by someting a little more scientific than 'Climate Change'... what is the issue? Unstable embankments/cuttings?, Formation failure?, Drainage issues?..

As for internal appointments, surely they are the only sort made by IE

dowlingm

There has been a lot of disruption due to landslips in the last 24 months including one near Portlaoise IIRC and several on the Wicklow line. I don't blame her for being concerned. Whether that translates to a need for a PSR is a different thing - I would prefer that IE fix the problem (using vegetation to hold the banks in place, better drainage) rather than mitigate possible damage by running trains more slowly on a long term basis. IE should have to report the number of network PSRs and TSRs in their annual report as they do SPADs.

FlameoftheWest

Judgement Day wrote: »

I think I would prefer the Chief Civil Engineer's opinion regarding safety rather than Dick Fearn's. However, this appears to be yet one more example of how utterly dysfunctional a company CIE/IE has become.

Her comment about "Climate Change" just struck me as a pathetic attempt to somehow win the high moral ground. But you are right it's a circus there at IE.

A Dub in Glasgo

JHMEG wrote: »

The lack of specifics has me curious.

Did she join DB straight out of college and travelled around essentially as a graduate for a couple of years? Joined IE at a young age and has been promoted in the absence of external competition since?

Again am curious as to why her superiors feel she's wrong. In my own public sector experience that happens when one manager doesn't think another is up to the job.

When does a graduate become just another experienced worker? I graduated nearly 17 years ago and have almost 15 years post training experience, I am now a Chartered Engineer. If I was heading up an Engineering section, in all probability my superiors would not be qualified to second guess my judgement, that can only be done by her peer group.

merengueca

FlameoftheWest wrote: »

Her comment about "Climate Change" just struck me as a pathetic attempt to somehow win the high moral ground. But you are right it's a circus there at IE.

So true, 'Climate Change' if in reference the recent bank slips could also be read as 'poor civils management'. What plans are in place for bank stabilisation I wonder?
I can't believe that they don't have to report TSR/PSR numbers, surely this is a critical KPI?

dowlingm

merengueca wrote: »

So true, 'Climate Change' if in reference the recent bank slips could also be read as 'poor civils management'. What plans are in place for bank stabilisation I wonder?
I can't believe that they don't have to report TSR/PSR numbers, surely this is a critical KPI?

They may have to (to RSC), just not in the annual report. I think the problem may be that there were no plans for stabilisation, and maybe she wanted a budget to do it and didn't get it. After Cahir and Broadmeadow it wouldn't be surprising if things had been let, er, slide...

merengueca

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

When does a graduate become just another experienced worker? I graduated nearly 17 years ago and have almost 15 years post training experience, I am now a Chartered Engineer. If I was heading up an Engineering section, in all probability my superiors would not be qualified to second guess my judgement, that can only be done by her peer group.

Does make you wonder what prompted Dick Fearn to take this course of action... have others inside IE or from elsewhere questioned the validity of this TSR.
Both the CCE and HR director sharing the same legal team in cases against IE - looks like more politics being played out here than in the Dail.

JHMEG

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

When does a graduate become just another experienced worker? I graduated nearly 17 years ago

I graduated around the same time, but I haven't spent the majority of my working life in a semi-state. I know people who have, and are detached from reality as a result - all one eyed men in the land of the blind, so to speak.

I'd agree with what you say about management not being qualified to question your opinion -if- the company was a top-lass engineering outfit. This is IE we're talking about, and the fact that it's going to court means something is up.