[article] Over 100 trapped on train for hours

[Mark Gleeson]

Over 100 trapped on train for hours

By Allison Bray
Monday December 14 2009
OVER 100 rail passengers were stranded in cold, dark carriages for more than four hours and hundreds more faced delays of up to three hours after the entire fleet of outbound trains from Dublin's Heuston Station ground to a halt yesterday.

Thousands of rail commuters were affected, including hundreds of passengers on the 15.25 train from Heuston to Limerick, who were left stranded on the tracks at Monasterevin, Co Kildare, for more than four hours when their train's engine failed at around 4pm.

The engine failure also resulted in the loss of heat and electricity to the last three cars of the train.

The public address system on the train was affected by the power cut so that passengers were literally kept in the dark about what was going on until an Irish Rail official eventually boarded the train to inform them of the incident.

The track didn't re-open until 8.05pm after the train was able to use its remaining power to chug back to a depot in Sallins, Co Kildare, at 10mph.

An alternative train was due to arrive in Limerick at 10.30pm last night -- more than seven hours after it had departed Heuston Station for the two hour and 35 minute journey.

All other trains leaving Heuston Station were affected and faced delays of more than two hours throughout the day.

An Irish Rail spokeswoman said the cause of the engine failure is being investigated. She apologised on behalf of Irish Rail for the disruption.

"This is obviously a very serious (engine) failure. We haven't had anything this bad happen in a while," she said.

Normal service is expected to resume this morning.

- Allison Bray

Irish Independent

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...s-1973831.html