Malahide viaduct

[ThomasJ]

RTE now reporting the driver of that train drove on to malahide and them reported it

[on the move]

Originally Posted by Jister

If it happened in the dark it would not have been spotted I would imagine. If it happened in another month or so it would have been dark at 6pm!!!!

A shockingly close call.

6.00 will be bright enough to see issues until the clocks go back. I'm not due to use that section of the line until early October, so hopefully it will be fixed by then.

Lucky the driver spotted it in time. That's a full speed, flat out area of the track. I hope IR have learned their lesson from the Cahir viaduct collapse a few years ago.

[Mark Hennessy]

Thank heavens no one was hurt today, thats all I can say.

Absolutely shocking images, we can only hope there is an engineering explanation as to why this could happen so suddenly, if not there are massive safety questions to be asked of IE.

[karlr42]

Originally Posted by ThomasJ

RTE now reporting the driver of that train drove on to malahide and them reported it

I read this too, if true does it mean the driver proceeded over the viaduct? Possibly he was unable to stop in time. Presumably it will all become clear at a later stage.

[on the move]

The worst place for such a thing to happen would be the Boyne Viaduct, where it's a 30-metre drop into the water.

All viaducts should be regularly and thoroughly inspected.

[sublimity]

Yep, shocking images really and very scary.

Now everyone should be on red alert along the wicklow and wexford coast too...

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by sublimity

Yep, shocking images really and very scary.

Now everyone should be on red alert along the wicklow and wexford coast too...

True i always wondered if the platform at leixlip would subside but that is a drop in the ocean [excuse the pun ] compared to the northern and east south eastern line [DART AND Rosslare line ] i shudder to think of the consequences.

[weehamster]

Jeasus H Christ, this is serious problem. I can't state enough how lucky this whole thing was. This will take a month or 3 to repair. And depending how serious condition the rest of the bridges are. Again....

[Mark Hennessy]

Right engineers, any idea how a span can just collapse?



Is this the part most affected by tides?

Also, how does a driver on a south bound service cross this and then report the issue?

[losexpectation]

heres a clue
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=5...13937&t=h&z=17

[Mark Gleeson]

There curiously was a 29k in the Dublin bound platform in Malahide. The radio telephone would work fine on the bridge. no way a train would get across the bridge in its current state

Each track has its own span possibly one collapsed before the other

[weehamster]

Ladies, any service will not operate for a good while over this section until a proper survey is carried out on the rest of the structure. We really don't know if a proper 'modern' detailed survey was ever carried out on this section. As stated already, the tidal forces would be strong at this section.

Oh wow, I think IÉ is in the deep shi*e over this. This is as far as I'm concerned, totally unforgivable, especially considering the DART extension to Drogheda

[Mark Gleeson]

We are looking at months here, probably 3 at minimum. It takes concrete 28 days to reach full strength and a steel option is workable in that exposed location

[weehamster]

Mark we really need you now to ask the tough questions to IÉ over this. This could have been really serious. I am talking about possible deaths here.

[Mark Gleeson]

Press release is just finished. Something went wrong an underlying fault in the bridge was missed, there is a history of scour problems. We are very lucky to escape this time. IE built, own and maintain the bridge so unless it was blown up or an earthquake (both highly unlikely) its IE's fault

For the last few years off the record its always been 'there's a big one coming', sadly there will be an fatality accident. This was not the closest to a fatality incident in the last month, a member of staff came within seconds of death on board a passenger service.

[weehamster]

Sorry Mark, but if it wasn't for the very basic cop-on of the driver, this would have been serious. But as you have stated there has been other 'close calls'. how long until...

I really feel sick to the stomach over this. Are us Irish really that incapable or running a rail services safely, let alone efficiently.

[Mark Hennessy]

Related to this now, but how will the commuter trains that are normally sent to Drogheda be serviced and fixed now?

Does that mean that other services will suffer as they are cut off now from access to the depot for many weeks at least?

[Aphfaneire]

It's extreemly lucky that those 50 passengers on the Balbriggan to Connolly train were safe.


The driver noticed a subsidance on the obosite side of the track as he passed.

So he stopped and called in, and soon after it all collapsed.


Scary to think how frequently hundreds of people rocket over that section.

A full, proper rush hour train either south in the morning or north in the evening would have hundreds of people on board. It could have been unbelievably horrific.



But those 50 are safe and probably didn't even notice.


As for what will happen now i'm just shocked at the implications.


My mother and myself have to figure out the best way to get from Drogheda to Dublin.

Our current thinking is take the car to Portmarnock.

Or get the 101 from Drogheda and Park in the station.

Overall i don't know what kind of service's and extra buses they will run but it will be a disaster to organise.


The Skerries Freight Derailment last year was poorly managed to say the least.

This could also be.

What are the Bus contingency plans?


Will Donabate North to Skerries/Balbriggan also recieve shuttle Trains to A unified bus point or extra buses into dublin at stations not capable of handling the traffic.



How will the fleet be maintained over 3 weeks?


There has to be several trains stuck in Dublin. At least 4 or so maybe even more, that can't get back to Drogheda for Repairs.


All other 29k's shared with Southern Commuter service's and Maynooth Service's will also be out of luck.

Thankfully most of the 22k's are now running so this isn't that many, but it puts massive pressure on the Maintenance facilities in Dublin, Ie Connolly.

Will Trains be sent west for repair??

And why is the Enterprise fully suspended? Surely at least 2 remain up north?

There is 5 or so engines and 4 set's of carriage's. NI and IE can easily spare Northern Line trains to keep the Business of Enterprise going between Drogheda and Belfast, or even as far south as Skerries/Balbriggan.


Sending a coach as far north as Belfast directly is a waste of petrol and capacity. Transferring to remaining trains earlier will save time and allow more people to head back to Dublin.






There's far to many issue's to think about.

This is going to be awful!

[ThomasJ]

UPDATE 13.00HRS, 22ND AUGUST Ongoing major disruption to Northern Commuter, and Belfast Enterprise by Corporate Communications


UPDATE 13.00hrs, Saturday 22nd August

There is significant disruption to Northern commuter, and Belfast Enterprise services due to a serious incident in which a 20 metre section of the viaduct has given way across Broadmeadow estuary, north of Malahide yesterday evening. The incident occurred shortly before 18.30hrs on Friday.

An investigation into this extremely serious incident is underway.

Services:

Northern commuter services are seriously disrupted. A shuttle rail service is currently operating between Drogheda and Skerries only. Customers travelling between Dublin city and all stations north of Malahide are advised to travel by Dublin Bus or Bus Eireann services.

Saturday: Trains will operate between Dundalk/Drogheda and Skerries as follows:

Depart Drogheda: 06.30, 07.30 (starts from Dundalk 07.03), 08.30, 09.30 (starts from Dundalk 09.55), 11.30, 13.30, 15.30, 17.30, 19.30, 21.30

Depart Skerries: 07.00, 08.00, 09.00, 10.00, 11.00, 12.00, 14.00, 16.00, 18.00, 20.00, 22.00

Further services for Dundalk will be confirmed later.

Please note again that customers travelling between Dublin city and all stations north of Malahide are advised to travel by Dublin Bus or Bus Eireann services on Saturday.

Sunday services will be confirmed shortly.

WEEKDAY COMMUTER SERVICES

Iarnród Éireann are working with Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann to provide enhanced services on existing routes serving the communities affected. Dublin Bus will enhance the No 33 routes serving the Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush & Lusk and Donabate areas, including use of the Dublin Port Tunnel. Details of these services, and service arrangements for customers between Dundalk and Gormanstown, will be confirmed as soon as possible.

In addition, a rail service will operate between Dundalk/Drogheda and Skerries.



For the duration of the disruption, Belfast Enterprise services will operate with train services between Belfast and Drogheda, and with bus transfers between Drogheda and Connolly, with resulting delays.

DART services between Malahide and Howth Junction are operating normally.

Due to the severe damage to the viaduct, we regret to inform customers that the line across the estuary will not reopen for at least three months, with resulting disruption continuing.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the inconvenience caused.


<< Back

its gonna be a long winter for some!

[ThomasJ]

A bit of media reaction and the mystery of whether or not the driver stopped might be solved, it seems it may have been subsiding as he crossed the bridge!
Independent http://www.independent.ie/national-n...e-1866930.html

Packed train seconds from disaster in bridge collapse

By Allison Bray

Saturday August 22 2009

TWO rush-hour commuter trains packed with hundreds of passengers were just seconds away from disaster last night when a section of track dramatically plunged into the water moments after they passed over it.

Miraculously, nobody was killed after a 20-metre section of viaduct over Malahide estuary collapsed on the main Dublin-Belfast line seconds after a driver pulled into Malahide station in north Dublin.

But travel chaos ensued for hundreds of passengers stranded in Malahide and major disruption is expected in the weeks to come. The bridge sank into the fast flowing water of the estuary -- just after a train from Balbriggan to Dublin city centre crossed over at about 6.25pm.

And less than five minutes before that, a full northbound commuter train with hundreds of passengers on board passed over the viaduct, at 6.20pm en route to Dundalk.

Subsidence on the line at the Malahide estuary is believed to be the cause of the viaduct collapse. Irish Rail spokesman Barry Kenny said the incident was very serious and could have resulted in widespread tragedy were it not for a quick-thinking train driver.

The driver noticed signs of subsidence on the track as he was crossing at around 6.25pm.

He immediately stopped the train in Malahide and alerted Irish Rail which suspended all services on the northern line.

"He was extremely observant and he immediately raised the alert," he said, noting that the railway control centre also received a red alert on its computer system as the bridge collapsed.

"The scale of the potential for disaster was enormous," he said. "The fact that nobody was hurt and there wasn't a derailment doesn't take away from the fact that this was very close to being a very serious tragedy," Mr Kenny said. All rail services were suspended in either direction from Howth Junction last night as engineers raced to the scene of the collapse.

The Railway Accident Investigation Unit was also called out to the scene last night to investigate the cause of the bridge collapse.

Train services will be suspended north of Howth Junction this weekend and there will be serious disruption to regular commuter service north of Malahide and on the Enterprise line between Dublin and Belfast for weeks to come, Mr Kenny said. "It is a very lengthy disruption we're facing. It will be measured in weeks," he said.

Stranded

Bus transfers were being arranged last night for alternative transport for passengers on the Enterprise line while thousands of stranded DART and commuter passengers were advised to seek alternative transport on Dublin Bus or Bus Eireann. Irish Rail expects it will announce a contingency plan for Northern commuter passengers by next week.

"Tonight the focus is very much on assessing the site but we'll definitely be able to advise people who are commuting by Monday," Mr Kenny said.

Meanwhile, long-time Malahide resident Joan McAllister, whose kitchen on Upper Strand overlooks the estuary, said her husband glanced out the window and saw two of the viaducts arches give way and collapse into the sea.

"Both tracks are gone. There are cables sticking out of the bridge and two of the arches have fallen into the water," she said. Despite the mayhem, some people in the area didn't even notice what was going on, she added. "There were people sailing on sailboards who didn't even notice," she said.

But across the estuary in Malahide it was another story with hundreds of confused commuter train and DART passengers milling about at the station trying to find alternative transport, said local resident Des Byrne. "It's causing chaos. People are getting off trains and don't know what to do," he said.

- Allison Bray