[2-2-2008] Bray Greystones Closed

[ThomasJ]

Originally Posted by essoII

There's a photo of the fall in this weeks edition of The Wicklow Times. Cant upload it though. It shows two councellors from Wicklow co.co. standing next to the fall..It looks to me to be very small, literally like a few wheel barrow loads of rubble at the bottom of one of those safety nets. Honestly cant see how something seemingly so small and insignificant is causing the line to be closed indefinatly. Even the councellors think irishrail are not doing enough to solve the problem. No shuttle buses run between Bray and Greystones during offpeak times which i think is ridiculous. I own a monthly rail ticket and am having to pay for the 84/184 at these times. This is also the time many school children travelling to Greystones are waiting for buses, also having to pay...it really is a joke at this stage..

That cannot be right! There is a notice at Tara street referring to the use of 84/184 after peak hours and all weekend if anyone has the chance can they get a picture? I will try and get one later, but typical that this notice is not online! (as in alternative arrangements)

[ACustomer]

I wouldn't place too much credence in what local Councillors have to say: they tend to grandstand a lot.

While the rockfall might look small - just a few wheelbarrows full - I don't think you would like even a 2-kilo rock to hit a train window, especially if it had gained some velocity having become detached from much higher up.

It is only reasonable that the whole rockface in the vicinity of the fall be inspected and made safe prior to re-opening. I can easily see why this might be a fairly complicated task, given the terrain and access (never mind the recent weather conditions).

[Mark Gleeson]

I think we can all accept that services must be suspended until such time that Irish Rail's engineers and possibly the chief inspector of the RSC give the ok

What we cannot accept is the usual lazy Irish Rail ignoring its obligations to put in place a reasonable alternative mode of transport combined with the usual confused information

[shweeney]

there are 4 or 5 buses lined up outside the station in the morning - this seems to suggest that BAC have the buses and drivers to spare to operate the shuttle service during the morning peak. Why they can't continue to run the shuttle outside the peak hours is unclear.

Its hit and miss in the evening as well, yesterday evening passengers from the 1825 Dart into Bray (that is supposed to continue to Greystones) were being directed onto a 184 that then sat at the station until its scheduled departure at 1840. Extra delay, extra frustration.

[wobbles]

Originally Posted by shweeney

there are 4 or 5 buses lined up outside the station in the morning - this seems to suggest that BAC have the buses and drivers to spare to operate the shuttle service during the morning peak. Why they can't continue to run the shuttle outside the peak hours is unclear.

Its hit and miss in the evening as well, yesterday evening passengers from the 1825 Dart into Bray (that is supposed to continue to Greystones) were being directed onto a 184 that then sat at the station until its scheduled departure at 1840. Extra delay, extra frustration.

It seems the Gorey commuter service is now starting to be cancelled. I noticed a small hand written notice outside the gate of the station this morning that the 1135 Connolly-Gorey the 1448 Gorey-Connolly and the 1923 Gorey-Connolly have now being cancelled untill further notice. Nothing on the IE website about this.

[Mark Gleeson]

They have been deleted from the online timetable

Its not on

[wobbles]

Mark is there any thing that can be done about this? Its a public service surely IE cant pick and choose what services they can operate.

[Mark Gleeson]

I know who is in charge in IE and who oversees that IE play by the rules in the DoT, failure without good cause to provide alternative transport is not acceptable

Email will go out tomorrow to IE, see what they say.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by shweeney

there are 4 or 5 buses lined up outside the station in the morning - this seems to suggest that BAC have the buses and drivers to spare to operate the shuttle service during the morning peak. Why they can't continue to run the shuttle outside the peak hours is unclear.

Cost.

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by Victor

Cost.

Which is no excuse to ignore the obligation to provide alternative transport when a line is closed

[wobbles]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Which is no excuse to ignore the obligation to provide alternative transport when a line is closed

I agree with you Mark 100%. Its not good enough.

[PLUMB LOCO]

Recent picture of unsucessful journey between Greystones and Bray!

[essoII]

here's a rather dodgy image of the one in The Wicklow Times, from tuesday. Couldn't get it to scan in in colour...what you think? To me it looks like there's a bit of damage to the wire mesh designed to catch the loose rocks on the cliff face...honestly looks like there's only a few wheel barrows worth of debris from this "major rockfall". I guess it's unclear from this image though, there could easily be more loose rock above..surely it's a bit unwise for people to be standing right underneath such a precarious rock face

[PLUMB LOCO]

More seriously this photograph shows the very limited extent of the latest 'avalanche'. Simply some small stones and mud loosened by recent heavy rain and largely contained by netting - hardly a reason to reroute the line to the West of Bray Head!

[Mark Gleeson]

I'm planning on getting out there myself in coming days, know the cliff walk very well to get some photos to see how bad it really is, you need to be on the Greystones side to see the upper cliff. There is an awful lot of unstable cliff there a lot of it will have to be removed

Seems like my link to the aerial photo was spot on the location

If you want to see what a relatively small rockfall can do (1 boulder less than 1m^3), NIR had a accident http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/doc...php?docID=1933

The Portarlington incident was a relatively minor landslide yet it derailed 118 tons of locomotive

[ACustomer]

Good News!: from IE Website:

Gorey & Rosslare rail disruption continues until Monday; Bray-Greystones closed up to Wednesday by Corporate Communications


UPDATE: 14.45hrs, 12th February 2009

Iarnród Éireann advises customers that disruption to Gorey Commuter and Rosslare Intercity services is continuing, due to a landslip at a rail embankment between Arklow and Gorey.

Along with the Bray to Greystones DART, these services had been disrupted since Monday 2nd February as the line had been closed between Bray and Greystones due to rockfall close to the entrance of the first tunnel on Bray Head.

However, a landslip occurred on Wednesday 4th February at a rail line embankment south of Arklow, and as a result, Gorey commuter and Rosslare-Dublin Intercity rail services are suspended entirely on the line between Bray and Gorey.

However, the rail line will reopen at Arklow by lunchtime on Monday 16th February. Furthermore, the line at Bray Head will reopen on Thursday 19th February. The public footpath at Bray Head will remain closed until further notice.

[essoII]

Originally Posted by ACustomer

Furthermore, the line at Bray Head will reopen on Thursday 19th February. [/i]

Ace. sick of getting the bus!

[Colm Moore]

http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/travel_alerts.asp?action=view&news_id=467

Arklow line reopens; Bray-Greystones closed up to Wednesday by Corporate Communications

UPDATE: 14.45hrs, 15th February 2009

Iarnród Éireann advises customers that the line between Greystones and Gorey has reopened, following remedial works to rectify a landslip near Arklow.

However, there remains disruption to Rosslare Intercity, Gorey Commuter and Greystones DART services, due to a rockfall at Bray Head. As a result, the Bray to Greystones line has been closed since Monday 2nd February.

The Bray-Greystones line will remain closed up to and including Wednesday 18th February, and will reopen from the first train service on the morning of Thursday 19th February. The public footpath at Bray Head will remain closed until further notice.

Service arrangements during disruption

DART

Alternative bus services will operate between Bray and Greystones for DART services. All other DART services will operate normally, from Howth/Malahide to Bray.


Gorey Commuter and Rosslare Intercity

Gorey commuter services will also be substituted by bus services from Bray to Gorey. Rosslare Intercity services will be substituted by bus services between Bray and Greystones.

Iarnród Éireann apologises to customers for the inconvenience caused. Full service details will be updated at this website, and journey planner information is available through the timestable search at our homepage www.irishrail.ie