[30/06/2013] Severe disruption to Heuston Intercity services

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4860&p=116&n=237

Severe disruption to Heuston Intercity services
30 June 2013

Due to a person being struck and fatally injured on the line between Adamstown and Hazelhatch, Intercity services operating to/from Heuston are subject to disruption this morning while emergency services attend the scene.

All Heuston Intercity services (to/from Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Westport, Waterford). will be part substituted by bus, initially between Heuston and Hazelhatch.

Commuter services between Heuston and Kildare will not operate.

This disruption is expected to continue throughout the morning.

We apologise for the inconvenience caused to customers. This website will be updated when further information is available, as will our http://twitter.com/irishrail .

[Inniskeen]

Unless there is more to this incident than is presently apparent, the disruption to services is extraordinary especially given the availability of four tracks.

0830 to Tralee presently two hours late, most other outbound services being delayed by around 90 minutes. Services also now appear to be commencing at Sallins rather than Hazelhatch.

[Jamie2k9]

http://www.irishrail.ie/cat_news.jsp?i=4860&p=116&n=237

Heuston to Hazelhatch line reopens


30 June 2013

The Dublin Heuston to Hazelhatch rail line is reopening at 13.00hrs, following an earlier incident in which a woman was struck by a train and fatally injured on the line between Adamstown and Hazelhatch during the night.

Full services are resuming, and while delays are continuing, they will ease during the afternoon.

The incident took placeat 00.20hrs, 500 yards south of Adamstown Station, when the woman was struck on the line by an out of service Commuter train returning to Heuston Station. The emergency services attended the scene, and the line remained closed while Gardai carried out investigations.

For the duration of the disruption, all Heuston Intercity services (to/from Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Westport, Waterford) were part substituted by bus, between Heuston and Hazelhatch. Commuter services between Heuston and Kildare did not operate.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the inconvenience caused to customers.

It's madness that all 4 lines were closed, the two outbound could an should of operated as single lines. Over 12 hour closure, that's not normal.

[seamus kilcock]

Very sad incident obviously.
However I agree with Inniskeen earlier post.
Surely there are protocols in place that should ensure all immediate investigations are complete within a couple of hours and allow the lines reopen.
The incident is reported as taking place shortly after Midnight.
I would expect the lines reopen by 4am latest.
Maybe I'm very wrong in this assumption.
If I am someone will surely let me know.

[Jamie2k9]

Originally Posted by seamus kilcock

Very sad incident obviously.
However I agree with Inniskeen earlier post.
Surely there are protocols in place that should ensure all immediate investigations are complete within a couple of hours and allow the lines reopen.
The incident is reported as taking place shortly after Midnight.
I would expect the lines reopen by 4am latest.
Maybe I'm very wrong in this assumption.
If I am someone will surely let me know.

I have never seen a ling closure longer than 4 or 5 hours. I'm just baffled how they can justify 4 line closure when at most 2 would be needed.

EDIT-According to TV3 news footage it was the up fast line so I relay can't see why they didn't handle the situation better.

[Colm Moore]

https://twitter.com/irishrail

Iarnród Éireann

Services all back operating through Adamstown after disruption

http://irishrail.ie/

Heuston to Hazelhatch line reopens

The line between Heuston and Hazelhatch has reopened following an earlier incident in which a person was struck and fatally injured on the line between Adamstown and Hazelhatch. A full schedule is operating, but is subject to delays

[Mark Gleeson]

The length of disruption today was unacceptable, 2 hours is the UK target for these events. I would be pointing at the gardai here for going over the top and blocking Irish Rail.

As the train has blackbox, cctv and the train is never the guilty party there is no need to detain the train as evidence.

End of the day, it comes down to one witness the driver. It all hangs on why the person was on the track. If they were being chased, pushed etc. If there is any suggestion of foul play, its a big problem.

Rule book says passengers cannot pass by the scene until it is cleared, you could place another train alongside to hide the incident, in that case the early morning departures should have been able to run.

[Jamie2k9]

The length of disruption today was unacceptable, 2 hours is the UK target for these events. I would be pointing at the gardai here for going over the top and blocking Irish Rail.

As the train has blackbox, cctv and the train is never the guilty party there is no need to detain the train as evidence.

End of the day, it comes down to one witness the driver. It all hangs on why the person was on the track. If they were being chased, pushed etc. If there is any suggestion of foul play, its a big problem.

Rule book says passengers cannot pass by the scene until it is cleared, you could place another train alongside to hide the incident, in that case the early morning departures should have been able to run.

Gardaí need to ask themselves would they be allowed to close a main road such as the M50 for this time period. A complete joke and they had just short of 8 hours before any trains were scheduled. Just what sort of investigation were they doing. IE need to have some words an get some answers from them. Yet again our rail system comes to a complete stop for over 12 hours. You wouldn't get this carry on anywhere else around the world. The scene should of be cleared up before the 08.00 to Galway.

Do the rules allow trains/passengers to pass once the body is removed or does everything have to go. Anyway they could easily of put of one of those tents they do for murders.

[Mark Gleeson]

The rules are quite simple, if anything related to the incident can be seen from the train the train cannot pass.

If you have randomers roaming around you can't run a 100mph railway.

Sadly the KRP is not reversible which makes matters more difficult

What I have seen is on the Heuston side these incidents are dragged out over a much longer period. DART side 2-3 hours at most normally clears the line for service

[Inniskeen]

While there are issues running a "100 mph railway" with personnel present on or near the track, the risks can be managed relatively easily using well established procedures.

Although there may not be reversible working between Hazelhatch and Inchicore it should have been possible to introduce single line working over the down fast line without hampering or endangering the Garda investigations.

[Jamie2k9]

The rules are quite simple, if anything related to the incident can be seen from the train the train cannot pass.

If you have randomers roaming around you can't run a 100mph railway.

Sadly the KRP is not reversible which makes matters more difficult

What I have seen is on the Heuston side these incidents are dragged out over a much longer period. DART side 2-3 hours at most normally clears the line for service

I see but I think things would of moved a lot faster if the train had passengers on it.

As for the KRP not having reversible, that is a major factor but given what happened and as you say the other inbound line could of easily being blocked. Surly the rules could of being relaxed and lest say one train allowed to operate inbound on the outbound slow track without signalling as trains can access either side of the line west of hazelhatch. Speed restrictions would be needed but it would be much better than delays of 2 hours.

I agree with Inniskeen that the outbound should of being operational and the first arrival into Heuston on Sundays isn't till 10.30 so the inbound line are not overly busy until late in the morning.

[dowlingm]

there was a post on boards about this which gave me pause about making assumptions about how much work might be involved. An impact at DART speed would involve longer stopping distance than KRP speed, one would imagine.

[grainne whale]

Originally Posted by dowlingm

there was a post on boards about this which gave me pause about making assumptions about how much work might be involved. An impact at DART speed would involve longer stopping distance than KRP speed, one would imagine.

Well said - some of the posting regarding this incident were disgraceful.

[Kilocharlie]

Originally Posted by dowlingm

there was a post on boards about this which gave me pause about making assumptions about how much work might be involved. An impact at DART speed would involve longer stopping distance than KRP speed, one would imagine.

I presume you meant shorter?

[dowlingm]

Originally Posted by Kilocharlie

I presume you meant shorter?

Argh. Yes.