Iarnród Eireann rejects claims it ignored erosion warnings

Iarnród Eireann is rejecting claims that it had been warned about serious erosion at the Malahide Viaduct in Dublin as far back as 2006.

Catastrophe was narrowly averted at the estuary bridge last summer when a train driver spotted that the track ahead had been washed away.

Repair work led to disruption on the Belfast to Dublin rail line for a number of months.

Iarnrod Eireann has released details of a report into the incident today and said it is already taking action on the recommendations.

Fine Gael's Transport spokesperson Fergus O'Dowd however said the company was made aware of a problem in a 2006 report but sat on its hands.

"This report was in the hands of the company… and no account was taken of it," Deputy O'Dowd said.

He said the report indicated that scouring (erosion) around the pier which collapsed was much more than the other piers.

"They (Iarnród Eireann) didn't know what that meant… the causeway was disappearing while they did nothing."

But Iarnród Eireann spokesperson Barry Kenny strenuously denied this, saying the report in question recommended nothing other than to monitor the erosion every six years.

"It explicitly said that the piers were protected," Mr Kenny said.

"In terms of actions to be taken in relation to the bridge and in relation to the scour, it said that as such a structure can over time be susceptible to scour, it should be inspected under water at intervals not to exceed six years."