Tragedy avoided in rail collapse

Hundreds of people could have drowned if a train had been on the Malahide viaduct when it collapsed, members of the Oireachtas were told today.

Three politicians were given a tour of the reconstruction of the viaduct which collapsed just after a train ran over it on the evening of August 20th.

The driver of the train called ahead and another train that was due to go over it stopped at Howth Junction just before it was due to go over the estuary.

Fine Gael transport spokesman Fergus O’Dowd said he was disturbed to be told by Iarnród Éireann engineers that the loss of life could have been catastrophic as there was four metres of water in the estuary at the time.

“I am very concerned that there would have been major loss of life, were it not for the quick actions of the train driver,” he said.

“I’m very concerned about the safety regime. The first time that a engineer walked across that bridge was two years ago apart from the day of the complaint (a complaint made by Malahide Sea Scouts on the Monday before the collapse).

“It showed Iarnród Éireann had serious concerns. They didn’t get it right. The thing collapsed.”

Another member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, Senator John Ellis, its former chairman, and local TD Darragh O’Brien also visited the viaduct.

Mr O’Brien said: “We are all blessed that we are not dealing with a major tragedy. All of us Oireachtas members realise that. We are happy and the public should be happy with the safety regime put in place post the reconstruction of the bridge.”

The chairman of CIE John Lynch and other Iarnród Éireann officials are due to appear in front of the transport committee next week to answer questions about the incident.

The politicians were also told that the reconstruction was on schedule and the line would reopen at the end of November.

Original plans not to re-build the fourth pier, the one that collapsed, and instead replacing with a span between piers three and four, have been scrapped in favour of rebuilding it.

Hundreds of tonnes of rock have been placed on a four metre road along the base of the viaduct to facilitate heavy machinery. Pipes have been put in to ensure a normal flow of water through the Broadmeadow Estuary.

The weir underneath the piers is currently being repaired. A crack in allowed the water flow to be disturbed which, in turn, undermined the pier that eventually collapsed.

Piles as deep as 20 to 30 metres will be driven to support the rebuilt pier and the other piers will be strengthened.

Mr Ellis said he was reassured about the future safety of the Dublin-Belfast line, but the possibility that heavy rain during the summer could have been a factor in the viaduct’s collapse was cause for concern elsewhere.

“It does pose questions for other authorities such as the NRA and local authorities with regards to bridges. They are going to have to be dealt with as soon as possible,” he said.