IARNRÓD ÉIREANN is to reopen the viaduct at Malahide, Co Dublin, and resume normal commuter services on Monday, it has confirmed.
Northern commuter and Belfast Enterprise services have been disrupted for almost three months since a section of the viaduct collapsed on August 21st.
In a statement yesterday, the company said major physical works had been completed and that test trains would operate on the line until Sunday.
Iarnród Éireann has spent more than €4 million rebuilding a weir which had collapsed and reinstituting a pillar on which the viaduct stands. Reinforcement to other pillars was also carried out and the works have also included replacement of the bridge and track.
The final details will be reviewed by the Railway Safety Commission tomorrow for approval. However, the works have already been examined by independent structural engineers and the commission.
For at least two weeks, speed will be restricted to 25km/h, to be raised to 50km/h for another fortnight and finally to normal speed of 90km/h. The company said this was normal on all new tracks and would not affect service reliability.
The 5.40am train from Dundalk to Pearse Station will be the first passenger service to use the reopened line as full rail services resume. Iarnród Éireann has warned that replacement bus services will not operate and that strengthened routes 33XC and 33D will be scaled back.
The company has apologised to customers for the disruption and thanked them for their patience.
The collapse was caused by erosion of the weir at sea-bed level which undermined the support of one pier, Iarnród Éireann said. The investigation into the cause of the incident was continuing and would be concluded early next year.
Iarnród Éireann had assessed the Malahide viaduct just four days before the collapse and no remedial action was carried out.
Iarnród Éireann said its inspection regime for bridges on the rail network would change following the Railway Safety Commission’s investigation into the collapse.
