Residents call for port tunnel work to stop

HOUSEHOLDERS in Dublin’s northside want work on the port tunnel stopped after track subsidence occurred caused rail service chaos yesterday.

The subsidence, which was directly over the edge of the port tunnel works site in Fairview, was caused by the development of a small cavity under the railway line beside Fairview Station.

The rail line between Connolly Station and Clontarf Road was closed down for over three hours yesterday morning disrupting northside Dart services and Drogheda/Dundalk commuters. Because the Dart depot at Fairview was also affected southside services were limited.

Excavations were immediately carried out to establish if there were any deeper faults but none were found.

The rail line was reopened shortly after 10am yesterday.

While an investigation to establish the cause of the subsidence is underway, Iarnród Éireann believe the tunnel works are responsible.

Residents in the Marino area said work on the port tunnel should stop because of the subsidence on the railway track. Fintan Cassidy of the Marino Development Action Group pointed out that tunnelling under their houses was due to begin in January.

"Our worry is that when they come to bore underneath our houses more subsidence problems will occur. Our houses might be damaged they might even fall down," he said.

Barry Kenny of Iarnród Éireann said they were working closely with Dublin Port Tunnel to get to the root cause. "It is our belief that it is connected with the port tunnel," he said.

Mr Barry said they had no hesitation in closing the line because they were not prepared to take any chances.

Dublin City Council's deputy city engineer, Tim Brick, said the tunnel crossed under the railway line between East Wall Road Bridge and Fairview Park.

"We will work together with Iarnród Éireann to investigate what caused the subsidence and make sure that, if it was associated with our works, we put in place measures to ensure that it cannot and does not happen again." He said the cavity was a saucer-type depression measuring about two metres in diameter.

"The rail track did not move as a result of the cavity," Mr Brick said.