Dart delays blamed on blocked drains

Rail bosses blamed rush-hour delays in Dart services on blocked road drains which caused a nearby station to be flooded.

Iarnród Éireann said they were forced to halt services between Dun Laoighaire and Greystones on the south-side line in Dublin.

A spokeswoman said: “It was worst in the Dalkey area. It appears to be because of drains on a public road being blocked. The water went gushing into the station and then went out through our own drainage system.”

Dart services on the south side of the capital are still delayed after part of the line was closed for 25 minutes this morning.

A spokeswoman said it was the first time services had been halted due to flooding in several years, as they had worked on their drainage system along the lines.

“Along the south side, the coastal area is prone to flooding, but it is a long time since we had a closure. We will be monitoring it throughout the day,” she said.

Met Éireann forecaster Michael McAuliffe said 22 millimetres of rain had fallen in the Dublin area and the weather was likely to remain unsettled with heavy rain.