[Article] Vandalism of Carrick-On-Suir trains putting schedules at risk

[comcor]

Vandalism of Carrick-On-Suir trains putting schedules at risk

By John Murphy
A HUGE rise in vandalism targeting the train service operating out of Carrick-On-Suir is putting the future of operations on that part of the Waterford/Limerick Junction line at risk.

A senior Iarnród Éireann executive has expressed deep concern about the safety of both its employees and customers, and is warning that unless proper safeguards are put in place train services on the route cannot be guaranteed into the future.

Barricades were recently placed on the rail line outside the South Tipperary town and, in another incident, a concrete block was thrown from a pedestrian footbridge through the window of the train driver’s cab. The block very narrowly missed the driver but fragmented glass pieces were sprayed in his face.

The driver managed to bring the train to an emergency halt but the vandals then proceeded to stone the rear of the train where passengers were put at risk. Fortunately no one was injured but the train driver was in a state of shock.

Most of the attacks are occurring in the vicinity of the pedestrian footbridges at Clairin and Ard Mhuire which have been examined by Iarnród Éireann engineers. As a result the company is now considering plans to improve fencing on and around the bridge.

However the company believes the footbridge should be closed which would mean a short detour of approximately 300 metres for pedestrians with the use of a nearby under bridge.

Iarnród Éireann’s Waterford district manager, Peter Roche says that would be a small price to pay for passengers who are at serious threat of being injured.

In a letter to Carrick-On-Suir Town Council, Mr Roche has confirmed that the attacks on the trains increased in severity in recent months.

Mr Roche said: “Trade union representatives are deeply concerned also about the safety of their members, and unless proper safeguards are put in place train services on this route cannot be guaranteed.”

He has now told Carrick-On-Suir Town Council that maintenance and upkeep of the footbridges is the responsibility of the local authority.

Not every member of the council, however, is supportive of the closing of the foot bridges which are a public right of way, while the erection of protective cages on them has also been suggested as a possible solution to the vandalism.

Source: http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer...700-qqqx=1.asp

[sean]

We need a Joseph Stalin type guy to trap these punks and send them off to a gulag. It amazes me how often these punks attemp mass murder on the railways and either get away with it, or when caught, get short lentient sentences.

[Derek Wheeler]

There have been problems in Carrick for years. Its the ITG base and I know that they have experienced vandalism to their locos and an attempted burning of their shed. Perhaps Aidan could inform us more of the carry on.

As for Peter Roche's comments about stopping the service, thats just nonsense. IE are actually the biggest vandals on this line. Its under utilised, badly fenced off and is just too easily a target for local hoodlums. Nearly every station on the line is unmanned (when signal cabin staff knock off) after certain hours.The approach to Clonmel from the Junction is a playground for local kids. Its generally accepted that it is a lightly used line and if IE don't take their fingers out of their butts and do something with it, then its only a matter of time before local thugs will run absolute riot and take over. It needs to be fenced off. Stations, whether manned or not need to be locked outside of train hours. In addition to this, a decent service on the line would add more frequent activity and disuade these arseholes from using it for re-enactments of assault on precinct 13.

Ultimately IE don't care.

[ccos]

Cosidering theres only 6 services a day to carrick on suir it wouldn't take much effort from the old plod to do something about this, the odd patrol car around the area should narrow down the search,after all there can't be that many scumbags standing around on bridges? can there?

[Derek Wheeler]

Originally Posted by ccos

Cosidering theres only 6 services a day to carrick on suir it wouldn't take much effort from the old plod to do something about this, the odd patrol car around the area should narrow down the search,after all there can't be that many scumbags standing around on bridges? can there?

I think the problem is much bigger than this. Apart from incidents involving trains, railway land in general along parts of the route is used as a drinking den at night and a playground during the day. If IE are happy to fence off the Burma road in the west, which hasn't seen a passenger train in donkeys years, then they should really show some commonsense and fence off the line in Carrick, clonmel and Tipperary. The threat to passengers exists in these towns. It doesn't exist in Tubbercurry.

Im writing to Peter Roche and Carrick-on-suir Town Council.

[ACustomer]

The plods in CArrick are stationed about 300m from the railway and if the Signalman were to phone them when he accepted a train (in the afternoon and evening - the scumbags would be sleeping it off in the morning) they could get up off thier ar*es and take some action. A bit of fencing would not go amiss, and there is one footbridge which should be "caged" over. If that is not possible it should be dismantled and the locals told that they deserve to walk an extra 200 metres into town. However some demented human rights lawyer will probably object to this.

[ccos]

Well the gardai being in the neighbourhood of these ongoing events which were serious enough to make a national newspaper doesn't exactly sound like they're very keen on doing anything about it. Does it take a derailment or a fatality before they try to do something.