IARNRÓD ÉIREANN has said a section of its Dublin to Rosslare line between Wicklow town and Gorey will remain closed for up to two weeks following two separate landslides along the route.
On Saturday, Iarnród Éireann engineers closed a section of the line just north of Inch, Co Wexford, about three miles south of Arklow, Co Wicklow, following what a spokesman said appeared to be flooding damage to an embankment supporting the railway line.
Bus transfers were put in place between Gorey, Co Wexford, and Arklow to assist the Dublin commuter and Rosslare Port services yesterday.
In a second incident, an out-of-service commuter train travelling from Dublin to Co Wicklow early yesterday struck a landslide at about 5am. The landslide, which had spilled debris across the line just beyond Wicklow town, derailed the engine carriage which, according to Iarnród Éireann, “impacted with a tree”.
Following the second incident Iarnród Éireann extended its bus transfers from Gorey to Wicklow town instead of Arklow. This service is expected to remain in place until remedial action at both landslides is completed.
In another disruption to Rosslare and Dart services, trains were suspended for several hours between Bray and Dún Laoghaire yesterday following flooding on the line but reopened by tea-time.
Iarnród Éireann said it believed the recent heavy rain was responsible for the southeast incidents. Locals in the Inch area, however, said they believed a burst watermain may have contributed to undermining the embankment. Attempts to confirm this with Wicklow County Council were not successful.
Iarnród Éireann has undertaken significant reinforcement of coastal sections of its southeast line in recent years, particularly between Bray Head and Wicklow town, where sea storms and flooding have been a problem. However, the current incidents are along inland sections.
Meanwhile, Iarnród Éireann has promised that delays on lines that use the Malahide viaduct will not be as significant as yesterday morning when some journeys from Drogheda to Dublin took up to half an hour longer than usual.
The line had been partially closed since August when a 20m section of the viaduct collapsed.
“Because the Donabate to Malahide section had not been used for the last three months, there was a film of rust on the rail heads,” the spokesman said.
Trial trains had been used to remove the rust, but had not completely cleared the line and longer gaps that usual had to be left between trains yesterday.
Iarnród Éireann also said motion and flow sensors designed to report any changes in the structure or environment of the viaduct may be rolled out to the State’s 83 other rail bridges and viaducts.
Repair works to the viaduct costing €4 million included rebuilding the pier and strengthening foundations, strengthening all the piers along the viaduct and relaying the track.