[article] Train report bearing down on Iarnród éireann safety

[Mark Gleeson]

This doesn't make for comfortable reading, as always Irish Rail deny everything

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/jun/14/train-report-bearing-down-on-iarnrod-eireann-safet/

You can read the actual report http://www.rsc.ie/uploads/RSC/080110%20RAIU%20Report%20Skerries%20Derailment.pdf

[Mark Gleeson]

The report is no secret, tricky to find though, Irish Rail in fact get a draft copy before its published under the Rail Safety Act.

Irish Rail seem to have a selective records keeping policy, stuff goes missing. The safety audit wasn't terribly happy with the practices in the wheel shop in Inchicore.

Every axle and wheel passenger or freight, should have a traceable serial number stamped on it somewhere, its in the standards. Every axle is meant to be ultrasonically tested at regular intervals as well

[ThomasJ]

Scary stuff! :eek:

When it comes to passenger safety and the IE spin machine is still in motion you can tell that these people need a wakeup call. I cant believe they are defending an action which could have endangered peoples lives.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/jun/14/train-report-bearing-down-on-iarnrod-eireann-safet/ - "He said the company's investigation had found that the bearing failure was caused by a manufacturing fault"

So many, many years into its use, a manufacturing fault caused this? If it was a manufacturing fault, why wasn't it found over those many years? If it lasted this long, can it really be called a manufacturing fault?

[Mark Gleeson]

Wrong type of grease used as well.

From the investigation it was possible to establish that the bearing had most likely been in service more than 26 years. Maintenance of safety critical components was not strictly controlled and there was no system of traceability of safety critical components in place.

There was an accident in Waterford recently and the report from that will not make for comfortable reading either