No evidence collapsed canopy at station had been inspected since 2004

Railway safety inspectors found no evidence that a canopy which collapsed at Cork’s Kent railway station last year was structurally inspected since an updated safety standard was introduced by Iarnród Éireann in 2004.

Iarnród Éireann has been advised to identify all cast iron structures on the rail network which could be at risk of collapse in extreme weather conditions, as a result of the incident.

Railway safety inspectors made the recommendation in a report just published into the collapse of a canopy at Kent Station last December in high winds and heavy rain, when a number of passengers were lucky to escape serious injury.