Dart services suspended after flood damage

DART SERVICES from Pearse Street station to Dún Laoghaire have been suspended for a number of days following damage to a bridge caused by floods earlier this week, Iarnród Éireann has said.

Spokesman for Iarnród Éireann Barry Kenny said that fallen trees swept downstream during the torrential rain on Monday had lodged under the Dodder Bridge which is located at the south end of Lansdowne Road station.

Mr Kenny said that it was normal practice to do an underwater inspection of bridges following such floods and that damage had been found in the vicinity of one of the piers of the bridge.

He said services were being suspended as a “precautionary measure” to allow repair works to be carried out. This is the second time in a week that Dart services have been suspended due to flooding.

The company said it did not know exactly how long services would be disrupted but said it could be for a number of days.

Rosslare and Gorey services are also affected and will only operate to Bray with bus transfers onwards to Connolly station.

Other commuter services which operate from Drogheda or Maynooth to Dún Laoaghaire and Bray will now stop at Pearse Street station.

Dublin Bus will honour tickets for customers travelling south of Pearse Street.

In a statement issued last night, the company said: “The line has been closed due to damage to the ground in the vicinity of a pier on the Dodder Bridge at the south end of Lansdowne Road Station.

“This area was flooded on Monday of this week, during the torrential rainfall in the Dublin area,” it said.

The statement said at least two large trees which fell were swept downstream by the River Dodder and were lodged under the bridge, causing debris to build up at and under the bridge. “The bridge is a single span structure, and as part of new safety protocols adopted following the investigations into the Malahide Viaduct accident in 2009, a detailed inspection is automatically carried out of structures affected by a major flood event as soon as possible,” it said.

“This inspection carried out by divers, has shown this evening damage to the ground in the vicinity of a support pier of the bridge,” the statement continued.

“No such damage was present at its previous underwater inspection in October 2010.”

It added: “A remedial works programme to repair the flood damage is now being devised, and this will confirm timescales for this disruption.”