Potential role of works in derailment assessed

IARNRÓD ÉIREANN is investigating whether drainage and earthworks may have contributed to the landslide which resulted in the derailment of a train outside Wicklow town on Monday.

An out-of-service commuter train on the Dublin-Rosslare line struck a landslide at about 5am. The landslide, which spilled debris across the line just beyond Wicklow town, derailed the engine carriage, which then hit a tree.

The incident occurred less than 48 hours after a different section of the same line was closed when an embankment near Inch, Co Wexford, about three miles south of Arklow, was found to be unstable. Heavy rain was the "catalyst" for the incidents, said Iarnród Éireann, which is investigating whether drainage and earthworks in the wider area contributed to the Wicklow incident.

The Dublin-Rosslare line between Wicklow town and Gorey, Co Wexford, will remain closed until November 30th. Bus transfers have been put in place.

Locals in the Inch area said they believed a burst water main may have contributed to undermining the nearby embankment.

Wexford County Council yesterday said this was not the case.