Derailment on northern line

[Derek Wheeler]

A goods train has derailed in the Skerries area. It may or may not be a problem for early morning services on the 11/1/08.

[Aphfaneire]

According to my girlfriend who was listening to fm104 services are cancled into dublin. However the garda station in drogheda knows nothing of it, and the mcbride stations phone is engaged. I couldnt catch any news at half on my terrible radio.

We're going to try and see if it is running, but i doubt it.!

[Rashers]

From IE website:

Travel Alerts
SEVERE DISRUPTION TO NORTHERN LINE & BELFAST SERVICES by Corporate Communications


11th January 2008 - 05.15hrs

Iarnród Éireann advises customers that Northern line services will be severely disrupted today due to the derailment of a freight train south of Skerries last night.

All services for this morning's peak are cancelled between Dundalk/Drogheda and Dublin. Iarnród Éireann advises customers to make alternative arrangements.

Dublin/Belfast services are also disrupted. Bus transfers will operate for Dublin/Belfast services to Drogheda/Dundalk.

Iarnród Éireann crews are working to clear the line as soon as possible in order to have one track open, to provide a limited service later today.

As the derailment has caused damage to track and sleepers, it is not expected that full services will resume until later in the weekend at the earliest.

An investigation has been launched into the cause of the derailment, which involved a laden mineral ore freight train running from Tara Mines to North Wall. The incident occurred shortly before 11.00pm and six wagons on the train derailed.

Further service information will be updated at this site as soon as it becomes available.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the inconvenience caused.

[Rashers]

For the fun of it, went to real time information. Show's services operating normally:

Real Time Train Information Results - 07:16

Southbound trains serving Balbriggan in the next 30 minutes
Journey ETA Scheduled Platform Due In Current Location
Drogheda to Bray 07:34 07:34 1 18 Mins Drogheda

Dundalk to Connolly
07:42 07:42 1 26 Mins Dundalk
This information is an estimate of arrival times based on the current location of train services from Iarnród Éireann's central signalling system, and on scheduled journey time from areas under local signalling control. Cirumstances subsequent to the time of enquiry cannot be factored into this information.

[Mark]

Maybe this will have an effect on their %age of trains 'on time'.... or maybe not..

[Mark Gleeson]

The usual IE can't be arsed approach

1. There is no reason what so ever that a full service cannot be operated between Laytown Drogheda and Dundalk or even as far as Balbriggan, people do commute to other places

2. The incident took place last night and effected the 22:22 ex Pearse and the 23:20 ex Connolly, no notice appeared on the IE site until this morning

3. As usual IE don't say you are entitled to a refund. Its a derailment of a train almost certainly IE are at fault somewhere. Anyone with a weekly, monthly or annual ticket is entitled to claim compensation. So face value annual divided by 424 is what you are due per journey while the line remains closed.

On Enterprise just about everyone traveling on ticket purchased before the notification of the derailment, i.e pre bookings or people using the return portion of a ticket are entitled to a refund since the bus transfer is going to lead to delays, 25% refunds apply on all enterprise services once 30 minutes late

[Mark Hennessy]

Iarnród Éireann advises customers to make alternative arrangements.

BE had to issue a statement this morning to say that they cannot handle the extra commuters, after someone else had urged them to get the bus.

Another total disaster from IE, nice day off for their staff on the Northen line though.

[ThomasJ]

Is there any impact on other commuter services in the Dublin area?

Is there enough carriages to run todays services without those carriages that are trapped on the Drogheda depot side?

Did this mornings Rosslare service as normal albeit from Connolly?

[ThomasJ]

From RTE News

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0111/rail.html

Commuter rail disruption after derailment
Friday, 11 January 2008 09:36
There has been severe disruption to northern line rail services in Dublin after a freight train derailed in the north of the county.

All commuter services for this morning's peak time are cancelled between Dundalk/ Drogheda and Dublin.

Around 11pm last night, six wagons of a train carrying mineral ore went off the tracks at Hacketstown, 3km south of Skerries, Co Dublin. It had been travelling from Tara Mines to North Wall, Dublin.

Iarnród Éireann has advised customers planning to use northern line services to make alternative travel arrangements and up to 7,000 people are expected to be affected by the disruption.

The company says north line DART services from Malahide and Howth are unaffected and will operate as normal.

Bus transfers will be provided on the mainline Dublin to Belfast rail service.

An investigation into how the derailment happened is also being launched.

Bus Éireann says that they are assisting Irish Rail in trying to procure buses through Bus Eireann contractors.

Bus Éireann says that they will keep buses on the affected routes out longer than normal to try to facilitate as many passengers as possible.

[Mark Gleeson]

Of course they had 7 hours to work this out, Dublin Bus have a lot of spare buses and drivers thanks to the DoT

And the Port Tunnel was available to slash the journey times by bus

They had 7 hours IE had nothing in place

Since the 22:22 & 23:20 where stuck on the Connolly side there was stock to cover all other services this morning

[hhf8]

Bus eireann buses were not stopping in balbriggan,as They were all full from talking to ppl at the bus,One extra bus had gone through in the space of an hour. I've gone home and given up on the day. have they heard of contingency plans?

[Mark Gleeson]

Like I've posted perviously

Full service Dundalk - Ballbriggan would have been possible

Limited service, train every 30-40 minutes would be possible Donabate inwards depending on the availabilty of trains and looks like that would be a goer

As they say failing to plan = planning to fail

[packetswitch]

At least the website notice has a little more detail than the old style - Mark's ongoing battle seems to be having an impact!

[Mark Gleeson]

Latest information indicates a full service Skerries-Dundalk could have been provided this morning but was not

Derailment location is given as 3km south of Skerries and IE have publicly stated that a defect on a wagon is suspected at this stage

[Mark Gleeson]

Word now is the northbound track has been reopened

IE have not updated the notice on their site

Trains will have to run wrong track Malahide to Skerries

[ThomasJ]

RTE News- Updated 12.11

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0111/rail.html

It is expected that a partial rail service will be restored on the northern rail line this afternoon following a derailment.

Around 7,000 commuters who use the service between Dublin and Belfast had to make alternative arrangements this morning after the line was blocked by a derailed train.

All peak time commuter services this morning's peak time were cancelled between Dundalk/Drogheda and Dublin.

Around 11pm last night, six wagons of a train carrying mineral ore went off the tracks in Hacketstown, 3km south of Skerries. It had been travelling from Tara Mines to North Wall.

Iarnród Eireann has advised customers planning to use northern line services to make alternative travel arrangements.

The company says north line DART services from Malahide and Howth are unaffected and will operate as normal.

However full rail services will not be restored until the weekend at the earliest.

Bus transfers will be provided on the mainline Dublin to Belfast rail service.

An investigation into how the derailment happened is also being launched.

Bus Eireann says that it is assisting Irish Rail in trying to procure buses through Bus Eireann contractors.

It says says that it will keep buses on the affected routes longer than normal to try to facilitate as many passengers as possible.

[ThomasJ]

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/...ew&news_id=321

SEVERE DISRUPTION TO NORTHERN LINE & BELFAST SERVICES by Corporate Communications


11th January 2008 - 12.30hrs
Iarnród Éireann advises customers that Northern line services will be severely disrupted today due to the derailment of a freight train south of Skerries last night.

All services for this morning's peak are cancelled between Dundalk/Drogheda and Dublin. Iarnród Éireann advises customers to make alternative arrangements.

Dublin/Belfast services are also disrupted. Bus transfers will operate for Dublin/Belfast services to Drogheda/Dundalk. Delays of 30 to 40 minutes may occur.

Iarnród Éireann crews are working to clear the line as soon as possible in order to have one track open, to provide a limited service later today.
As the derailment has caused damage to track and sleepers, it is not expected that full services will resume until later in the weekend at the earliest.

An investigation has been launched into the cause of the derailment, which involved a laden mineral ore freight train running from Tara Mines to North Wall. The incident occurred shortly before 11.00pm and six wagons on the train derailed.

Further service information will be updated at this site as soon as it becomes available.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the inconvenience caused.

[tigger1962]

I arrived in dundalk, for once not checking here or having heard the news! It must have been premonition as I didn't want to get out of bed this morning!!! Anyway when i got to the Station at 7.40 i noted that the bottom carpark was relatively empty, which I found strange... the upper carpark was full and there was a bus pulling out of the station, about 50% full... It was then I found out about the situation.. those of us arriving were told of the derailment and that they couldn't get any more busses to take us to dublin as they were all used on the earlier services and that we would have to make our own way to Dublin... I asked about refunds and was told that I would have to contact head office to find out if i was entitled to a refund! When i said i had an annual ticket one of the other personal spoke up and said I would be entitled to one and to get a refund form and apply for a refund... I eventually drove to Howth Junction (easier for me to get parking than malahide)

Where did IE come up with that 7000 no for commuters? Is it based on nos of weekly/monthly/annual ticket holders from all the stations? of based on the maximum capacity of the trains?

[Mark Gleeson]

at 1240 per 8 coach train it does appear to be roughly correct, maybe a little low in fact

[Mark Gleeson]

Time seems to have no meaning to Irish Rail, why can't they just use the last modifed time which they get for free

NORTHERN LINE & BELFAST LINE - SOME SERVICES TO RESUME by Corporate Communications

11th January 2008 - 12.30hrs

Iarnród Éireann advises customers that limited Northern Line services are resuming following a derailment of a freight train south of Skerries last night.

Dundalk/Drogheda and Dublin Services

A limited northbound service will operate this afternoon with close to full northbound services operating at evening peak.

Southbound services will be limited.

Dublin/Belfast services

13.20hrs Connolly - Belfast services will operate.

Following last services tonight, the Northern line will be closed and remain closed through the weekend to allow track repairs. It is hoped that full normal services will be in opeation by Monday morning.

Further service information will be updated at this site as soon as it becomes available.

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the inconvenience caused.