[29-08-2006] Galway-Dublin 18:30

[Oisin88]

This train hit a fine midlands cow somewhere between Tullamore and Geashill at about 8:20pm. Passengers were taken to Portarlington where they boarded a delayed Thurles-Dublin train and arrived in Heuston approx 1:55 late. The Westport-Dublin train behind it was also delayed.

Well done to Irish rail for:
(1) Announcements keeping passengers up to date on progress
(2) A raft of taxis seemed to be kept lined up on the customer service side of the station.
(3) Loads of men in orange jackets handing out refund forms in front of customer service.
(4) Some refund forms handed out on the train.

They wouldn't announce there was a refund available over the PA. I'm not sure if it was just people who heard me asking them about it that got refund forms but it was a start!

Just checked the Irish Rail website:
Travel Alerts

• No Current Travel Alerts.

[Mark Gleeson]

Strangely things are getting better but on Sunday morning no one around, no mention of refund etc

This is the 3rd train in 5 days* to hit something and be seriously damaged, 2nd cow to meet its end. This is the point at which you are thankfull of a overweight american locomotive in front

The frequency of incidents of trains hitting objects is alarming, 40 incidents where reported in 2004 where a train struck a animal and there is a steady increasing trend since 2000 (26)

There are fewer level crossings and better fencing so why an increase ??

25/8/2006 21:00 Dublin Cork struck cattle Charleville
27/8/2006 8:30 Cork Dublin struck a large traffic cone north of Port Loais
29/8/2006 18:30 Galway Dublin struck cow in Tullamore Greashill section

[CSL]

Cows , although it sounds somewhat humorous can be deadly , viz the Polmont disaster

see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_rail_crash

[Mark Gleeson]

Following the Polmont accident the design criteria for end coaches was changed, MK4 control car hit cow at speed 70+ mph train damaged but stayed on track

Cow isn't a problem, its cows thats when you get a serious accident

[Oisin88]

I'm not really sure what happened yesterday but I was about 5 carriages back and felt us bumping over it. We slowed down gently. There are no level crossings in the area but a number of gates.

Some of the carriages involved in the incident were definitely back in service today. (unfortunately because the old "Cu na mara's" are real 80s style junk)