Report published into Tipperary derailment

An investigation has concluded that the derailment of a freight train on the Cahir Viaduct in Co Tipperary last October was an accident caused by a combination of factors.

Iarnród Éireann said the report found that the two-axle freight wagons interacted with the tracks on the viaduct due to their rigidity and subsequently derailed.

The accident on the Waterford to Limerick Junction line caused major damage to the bridge and resulted in 12 of the train’s 22 wagons plunging 50 feet into the River Suir below.

Iarnród Éireann said the investigation into the incident, carried out by British experts, concluded that a similar accident could not have happened to a passenger train on the same line due to differences in the type of carriages used.

The company said it had also responded to the incident by surveying all similar bridges to ensure their continued safe operation and by reducing the speed of similar freight trains while they are crossing over bridges.