Irish Rail failed to act on warning that Malahide Viaduct was unsafe
An independent inquiry into the collapse of the Malahide Viaduct in Dublin last year found that Irish Rail had been warned in 1997 that the structure was not safe, but had failed to act.
Tragedy was narrowly avoided on August 21, 2009 when a crowded passenger train had just passed over the viaduct when it collapsed.
Upon inspection it was found that scouring had undermined the weir supporting one of the piers, causing it to give way.
Today's report from the Railway Accident Investigation Unit finds that safety inspections were not adequate, and that engineers were not appropriately trained to carry them out.
Iarnród Éireann says it accepts the findings, which are regrettable.
Minister for Transport is Noel Dempsey welcomed the report.
"This is an important report into a very serious event," he said in a statement.
"This report gives a detailed and worrying account of the inadequate maintenance and inspection regime in Iarnród Éireann (IE) of recent years which failed to safeguard the viaduct structure from the impact of scour and erosion in Broadmeadow Estuary.
"It sets out a series of recommendations addressed to IE in areas such as future inspection standards and their implementation, training of key personnel, risk assessment of railway structures and the provision of physical and flood protection for structures at high risk.
"I understand from the report and from updates by IE that significant changes have now taken place to meet the short-comings identified and to ensure that there is no repetition of this event.
"Since this incident the Malahide Viaduct has been significantly strengthened and the weir profile has been restored and improved.
"There has also been a substantial reorganisation of the IE Civil Engineering department including the appointment of a new Chief Civil Engineer and a Technical Manager for civil engineering.
"There is a thorough review of technical standards being conducted, as well as compliance verification in areas such as inspection standards and their frequency and a new competency management process to ensure enhanced training of civil engineering staff."
"I also note that that IE has identified 105 bridges that are particularly susceptible to scour and has conducted detailed surveys on those bridges and has not found any scour related risks with any of these bridge structures."
