Train collision would have been avoided if Irish Rail staff had followed rules, inspectors find
Seán McCárthaigh
A collision between two trains in Co Mayo earlier this year, which resulted in damage of €100,000 to Iarnród Éireann rolling stock, would not have occurred if the principles and instructions of staff rule books had been applied, according to railway safety inspectors.
The accident occurred when a freight train used for carrying timber crashed into an empty passenger train shortly before midnight on February 10th in a siding at Westport railway station.
The Intercity train had been moved in expectation of the arrival of the timber train into a siding.
However, the stationary Intercity train was “fouling” the safe movement of the other vehicle into the siding.
The incident has resulted in the Railway Accident Investigation Unit issuing an urgent safety advice notice for Iarnród Éireann to carry out a risk assessment of all sidings to identify locations where markers might be needed to highlight “fouling points.”
The RAIU said the driver of the timber train had undertaken a number of shunting movements before propelling it down a siding which led to the collision with the front carriage of the Intercity train.
It claimed the physical damage was estimated at €100,000 although the full cost would not be known until remedial works were completed.
Iarnród Éireann claimed at the time that the collision arose from a “low-speed shunting movement” when empty timber wagons from the freight train made contact with an out-of-service parked passenger train.
It resulted in damage to the front cab of the six-carriage Intercity train which was subsequently removed to a works site in Portlaoise for assessment.
The RAIU said it has examined CCTV footage of the incident and the on train data recorder as well as carrying out a review of staff competencies, the Iarnród Éireann rule book and measures taken since the collision.
Railway safety inspectors noted the rule book stated that train drivers should avoid “stopping foul” of other sidings “as far as practicable.”
It also stated that particular care should be taken during shunting to prevent collisions resulting from a failure to ensure trains are not left unsecured or “standing foul” of other vehicles.
Iarnród Éireann’s professional shunters handbook also recommends that shunters should “maintain a good lookout for trains/vehicles left foul” as a key principle in reducing the risk of collisions.
The RAIU noted that a shunting plan for Westport station, which outlines the sequences in which the appropriate signals are required to complete a movement, does not include any safety related information for a shunter or driver.
It also observed that Iarnród Éireann had erected temporary and subsequently permanent markers following the collision to indicate the location of “fouling” points.
The RAIU said the markers would provide a clear visual aid to shunters and drivers in relation to vehicles fouling the line.
