Iarnród Éireann blamed over viaduct collapse

AN official report into the collapse of the railway viaduct at Malahide has found no records to show that Iarnród Éireann staff responsible for track inspections had carried out annual checks on the bridge for scour – the main cause of the bridge’s collapse.

The report, by the Railway Accident Investigation Unit, also noted there were no documents to suggest employees had received the specialist training necessary for the identification of scour – the action of water on bridges.

The RAIU report examined the role of the state railway company before, during and after the collapse into the sea of the viaduct over the Broadmeadow estuary in north Dublin on August 21, 2009.