[18-10-2007] Grand Canal Dock Bridge Strike

[Mark Gleeson]

18th October 2007 - 08.35hrs

DART & Commuter services are currently delayed due to a truck hitting a bridge near Grand Canal Dock.

Services are suspended between Pearse and Lansdowne Road while the bridge is assessed for damage. Services will be restored as soon as possible.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the inconvenience caused.

Same bridge second time in less than a week

[Mark]

GF stuck in Connolly on southbound DART, waiting a while - they are moving now.

[Mark]

Just to give you an example of how futile promoting public transport can be - my girlfriend has a very important appointment this morning in Ballsbridge and wanted to drive over. I convinced her to take the train, citing traffic, delays, parking, tolls, driving in town etc.. What happens.. bridge strike, phone call, "what do I do?", taxi, "I should have driven"...

Cant win can you?..

[Mark Gleeson]

18th October 2007 - UPDATE 09.15hrs

DART & Commuter services are currently delayed following an earlier incident involving a truck hitting Barrow St bridge near Grand Canal Dock.

Services have now resumed between Pearse and Lansdowne Road after the bridge was assessed for damage. However, as the line was closed for over 40 minutes, major delays to services remain.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the inconvenience caused.

Given the district engineers office is in Pearse 40 minutes is a poor response time

[Mark Hennessy]

At least I got as far as Tara before this happened.

[Morgase]

I was on the 7.30(ish) train from Wicklow to Connolly. We were stopped for ages near Booterstown and the driver eventually informed us that "there will be a short delay" (even though we were already delayed for some time).

He eventually drove on to Sandymount and let people off there. I opted to get off there instead of Lansdowne. Had a nice long walk to work then! :)

[Mark]

She hasnt texted me back.

The bridge strike was obviously my fault! :D

[Terrontress]

Are there financial penalties imposed on hauliers who strike bridges whenever there is adequate warning before they do so?

I presume this is the bridge at Bath Avenue.

I saw a lorry driver go right up to that bridge during the week, before realising the error of his ways, and then cause massive traffic disruption by having to turn the lorry around.

[Mark Gleeson]

It was the Barrow Street one this morning which is even lower at only 12 feet

It is deemed a serious offence http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0031/sec0138.html#partxvii-sec138

There have been several convictions under the act

[MidlandDeltic]

It was the Barrow Street one this morning which is even lower at only 12 feet

It is deemed a serious offence http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/act/pub/0031/sec0138.html#partxvii-sec138

There have been several convictions under the act

Hmmm, maybe. But are they a deterrent?

I live near to the Mountrath Road bridge in Portlaoise, which has several warning signs (static and electronic), and hazard bars. It was hit a few weeks ago, causing chaos on road and rail. The dribver claimed here was following another vehicle, and as that got under he thought he would be alright. The result? The driver was fined €300. Admittedly he was also sacked, but while the courts treat it in this way, there is no deterrent.

Sean

[Mark]

Drivers should know their height and plan their route accordingly.

I have a copy of the bridge heights book, its available free from Inchicore.

[MidlandDeltic]

Drivers should know their height and plan their route accordingly.

I have a copy of the bridge heights book, its available free from Inchicore.

There is also a pdf available on the website - but like the warning signs, they are ignored.

Sean

[CSL]

At Bath Avenue and South Lotts Road there are two big blinking signs + LED signs on the bridge plus huge NO HGVs signs .... yet still the bridges get hit.

[ThomasJ]

:D

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhmhcwojsnsn/



DART and rail services in Dublin are being disrupted this morning after a truck crashed into a bridge in the south of the city.

The collision happened during rush hour at Grand Canal Dock Station.

As a result, all DART and commuter rail services have been suspended between Pearse Station and Lansdowne Road.

The crash is the latest in a string of incidents in which trucks have collided with rail bridges that are not high enough for them to pass beneath.

Iarnród Éireann has described the truck driver responsible for this morning's incident as an "idiot" who failed to check his height and his route.

"The bridges around the Grand Canal Dock area are visibly very low," a spokesman said. "It takes a peculiar type of moron not to be aware of that."

He said the damage to the bridge was being assessed and services would be restored to normal as soon as possible.

[Mark Gleeson]

Sounds like Mr Kenny got delayed on the way in :D

[Thomas Ralph]

I was on a northbound DART at GC Dock when the bridge was hit, not a minute after we got in. There was a platform announcement that the trains would be suspended. I got out and saw the truck, which was a foot short of the bridge height itself but carrying a mini-JCB in the back with its arm up and the elbow scraped the top of the bridge. Couldn't have done any damage but understandably they have to close the line to check it out.

[Derek Wheeler]

Just to give you an example of how futile promoting public transport can be - my girlfriend has a very important appointment this morning in Ballsbridge and wanted to drive over. I convinced her to take the train, citing traffic, delays, parking, tolls, driving in town etc.. What happens.. bridge strike, phone call, "what do I do?", taxi, "I should have driven"...

Cant win can you?..

Your girlfriend is too cute to be sending on the train Mark. Shame on you!!:D

[Colm Moore]

I was on a northbound DART at GC Dock when the bridge was hit, not a minute after we got in. There was a platform announcement that the trains would be suspended. I got out and saw the truck, which was a foot short of the bridge height itself but carrying a mini-JCB in the back with its arm up and the elbow scraped the top of the bridge. Couldn't have done any damage but understandably they have to close the line to check it out.You might be surprised what can happen.

Arch bridges are designed to only take downward force, even modest upward force can do disproportionate damage - partial or complete bridge collapsed.

Then there is the possibility of track being dislodged diectly or through redistribution of the ballast, causing derailment.

I'll see if I can find the photos of the Rathcoole bridge strike.

[Mark Gleeson]

The Barrow Street one is a pre stressed concrete deck dating from 2000, it was undamaged

The one on Grand Canal Quay is an original 1834 Dargan built granite arch, the outer 2 tracks are not used so an impact is unlikely to cause damage to the core of the bridge

All the bridge strikes recently have been light vehicles at low speed vs fairly massive structures i.e the best case, bridge survives, vehicle extensively damaged

The risk is vehicle at speed hitting a relatively light bridge such as the girder type e.g. Port Laois where the risk is the bridge actually shifting