Rail Users Ireland Forum - View Single Post - [Article] Serious flaws found in Luas system

alek smart · 08-01-2006, 20:57

I would not be too sure of the Luas story being dead Thomas S.....Not by a long shot.
The RPA in this instance are playing their PR cards very close to their chests and only speaking when spoken to.
The decision to commence full Luas operations on Track which was underperforming in it`s STATIC mode may well be construed in a Court as removing some of the obligation on the Contractor (A Consortium I understand).
I have little doubt but that the AMB consortium is already taking all prudent steps to limit their financial exposure in relation to this situation.
I can forsee AMB moving to have much of their Guarantee exposure limited in the light of the decisions (or lack thereof) of the RPA and by certain senior officials in The Dept of Transport.
There is also the prospect of one or more of the companies within the Consortium perhaps going into liquidation which would have a somewhat unsettling effect on the exposure of those remaining,especially if the remaining companies were NOT directly associated with the defective polymer process.
There is an odd but very definite similarity between the Port Tunnel and the Luas revelations and it`s my firm belief that both will be the subject of long tedious and expensive dissection in or about the Four Courts.
I rather suspect that the Irish Taxpayer will eventually find themselves funding somewhat more of the various "fixes" than is presently being admitted to.
Still....perhaps it will lead to a new module in our Engineering Degree courses...."Places NOT to be considered as suitable comparators for Dublin when searching for new techniques in Moisture Ingress prevention......No 1. Madrid......No 2 Bilbao....etc etc"

08-01-2006, 20:57	#42
alek smart Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 144	Loose Luas I would not be too sure of the Luas story being dead Thomas S.....Not by a long shot. The RPA in this instance are playing their PR cards very close to their chests and only speaking when spoken to. The decision to commence full Luas operations on Track which was underperforming in it`s STATIC mode may well be construed in a Court as removing some of the obligation on the Contractor (A Consortium I understand). I have little doubt but that the AMB consortium is already taking all prudent steps to limit their financial exposure in relation to this situation. I can forsee AMB moving to have much of their Guarantee exposure limited in the light of the decisions (or lack thereof) of the RPA and by certain senior officials in The Dept of Transport. There is also the prospect of one or more of the companies within the Consortium perhaps going into liquidation which would have a somewhat unsettling effect on the exposure of those remaining,especially if the remaining companies were NOT directly associated with the defective polymer process. There is an odd but very definite similarity between the Port Tunnel and the Luas revelations and it`s my firm belief that both will be the subject of long tedious and expensive dissection in or about the Four Courts. I rather suspect that the Irish Taxpayer will eventually find themselves funding somewhat more of the various "fixes" than is presently being admitted to. Still....perhaps it will lead to a new module in our Engineering Degree courses...."Places NOT to be considered as suitable comparators for Dublin when searching for new techniques in Moisture Ingress prevention......No 1. Madrid......No 2 Bilbao....etc etc"