[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

[ThomasJ]

i presume this was a 22k set. Any idea what went wrong ? There seems to be ongoing problems with the 22ks

[markpb]

I'm sure this is a stupid question but is there a reason why another train could not, in four hours, have gotten close enough to the stranded train to pick people up. I know it's not that simple (H&S issues, height issues, etc) but four hours really is unacceptable.

[Mark Gleeson]

There is no reason for this kind of thing to happen, at least the third time in the last 2 years. Sligo line twice plus Dublin Limerick once. The Dublin Limerick one was rescued by a 2 coach commuter railcar which dragged the whole 6 car set into Limerick

The design is required that a 3 coach train can rescue another 3 coach train. This was a 3+3 train so it should have been able to drag itself to Portarlington and it was the rear 3 coaches which makes it easier.

Originally Posted by Someone in IE who should know better

We haven't had anything this bad happen in a while,

Hmm, the 3 hour delays 2 weeks ago are quickly forgotten. I'd give odds someone on board will sue on the basis of being held against there will.

I'll say one thing about the nasty old trains, they either broke down and wouldn't move but the heating and lights stayed on, or you could move but had no heating or lighting

[drumcondra commuter]

"We haven't had anything this bad happen in a while"

Yes, I noted this too. In a while suggests an indeterminate time frame while not committing yourself to anything in particular. This is truly bizarre.

[Colm Moore]

But how can one train cause such disruption?

And if it was able to drag itself away, why didn't it do so promptly? Monasterevin to Sallins is about 20 miles.

Could it not have moved to a station and other trains use the far platform?

And could it have been put in the siding at Kildare/Newbridge?

[Mark Gleeson]

The drag away solution would be to proceed to Portarlington and off load the passengers to the Dublin bound platform, train would then reverse into the up loop for later recovery

The Dublin bound platform is the best as if the train gets stranded in there its not a major problem to work trains around it, which isn't so practical in the Cork platform.

All the driver has to do is to ensure the gearbox is disengaged on all defective coaches to ensure its safe to drag. In contrast the evening commuter train suffered a uncontained engine failure near Skerries 5 year ago, with bits of the engine ejected into the countryside it managed to drag itself unaided to the next station with less than an hours delay

[ThomasJ]

Slightly technical mark , apologies but any idea which of the diesel fleet are the most reliable. Im hazarding a guess at either the 2800s or the 29ks

[Mark Gleeson]

29k is king still, then the 22k and then the 2800, the 26 is at least 10 times less reliable.

This failure should not have happened and should not not have resulted in the level of delay it did

[dowlingm]

This will be an interesting one to follow, it sounds like one of the gearboxes wouldn't disengage at first glance, although I'm a bit concerned about the uncontained failure mentioned above - sort of thing you only worry about with turbines! (I hate sitting in a wing row or just behind on a plane for that reason)

Sorry to diverge off topic for a minute but I was reminded by the reliability list - am I incorrect in thinking the 2800s had a fairly serious safety issue a few years ago with couplers or something similar? Did that get fixed?

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by dowlingm

This will be an interesting one to follow, it sounds like one of the gearboxes wouldn't disengage at first glance, although I'm a bit concerned about the uncontained failure mentioned above - sort of thing you only worry about with turbines! (I hate sitting in a wing row or just behind on a plane for that reason)

Sorry to diverge off topic for a minute but I was reminded by the reliability list - am I incorrect in thinking the 2800s had a fairly serious safety issue a few years ago with couplers or something similar? Did that get fixed?

it was the 2700s im nearly sure when they were on the rosslare line.

[sean]

Not sure exactly what happened last night but it seems IR is offering refunds in travel vouchers.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...p?t=2055769425

I assume the OP is under no obligation to accept anything short of a cash/credit card refund?

[Mark Gleeson]

They should take legal action against Irish Rail, no ifs or buts, being trapped on a train for 4 hours with no heat, light, food or toilet is not far from being kept captive.

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by ThomasJ

it was the 2700s im nearly sure when they were on the rosslare line.

Ah okay thanks. It was the Rosslare I was thinking of but had the fleet wrong.