Madam, - The claim in your editorial (Safety on the Railways, August 14th) that the Railway Safety Commission believes that the train involved in the Cahir Viaduct derailment "could easily have been a passenger train" rather than a freight train is clearly a flawed interpretation of the RSC's inquiry into the 2003 accident.
In fact, the RSC inquiry says "the risk of derailment to a passenger train would have been significantly lower than the risk to a freight train".
This was based on evidence from leading independent experts AEA Technology, who chaired Iarnród Éireann's inquiry into the accident.
AEA undertook advanced computer modelling to examine the dynamic interaction between rail vehicles and the viaduct under the conditions that prevailed at the time of the accident. They concluded that there was no propensity for such a derailment to occur involving the passenger vehicles in use on the line in question.
It should also be acknowledged that all of the recommendations from both the RSC inquiry and our own internal investigation are being implemented, including those to which you refer.
Indeed, most recommendations have already been fully implemented, due to the commonality in recommendations between the two investigations. Crucially, of course, the Cahir Viaduct was rebuilt and rail services reinstated in 2004, with the viaduct being upgraded to modern design standards, incorporating reinforced concrete deck with derailment protection supports amongst other features.
Your editorial states "it is essential that the issue of safety is treated seriously." No one would agree with this statement more than the management and staff of Iarnród Éireann.
Safety is our number one priority, and our excellent safety record, one of the best in Europe, is a result of company-wide commitment and dedication to safety, often in difficult circumstances.
The International Risk Management Services report of 1998, which you quote, highlighted the commitment of Iarnród Éireann personnel as the key factor in preventing fatalities through a sustained period of under-investment in the preceding decades.
In the 23 years since the last fatality from a collision or derailment on our rail network, there have been over 10,000 deaths on Irish roads. - Yours, etc,
BARRY KENNY, Manager, Corporate Communications, Iarnród Éireann, Connolly Station, Dublin 1.