Wicklow Train Derailment

Client

Iarnród Éireann, CIE Works, Inchicore, Dublin 8

Consultant

n/a

Location

Wicklow

JCL received a call at 6am on 16/11/2009 and were asked to mobile immediately to Wicklow Train Station to work with the Client, appoint a designer, and safely open the railway line again - JCL were on site at 7am

Key Features

• An existing embankment, discovered to be primarily made up ground, had collapsed during heavy rain and had caused a landslide on top of the tracks immediately adjacent to Wicklow Train Station
• An empty passenger train heading to Dublin collided with the landslide and was derailed
• JCL Engineers assessed the situation and looked at the various options for moving the train back onto the track - this included substaintial liaison with landowners and third parties
• Due to the difficult nature of the load - which has fixed lifting points, some of which were under the soil, JCL carried out a 3D Laser Scan of the train in order to design a lifting methodology which would safely lift the train back onto the tracks
• Creating access down to the railway in order to move the train required 4 30T Excavators and Dump trucks - this had to be filled with 2000m3 of compacted stone to act as a crane access and platform
• A 250T crane was mobilised and moved the train in accordance with the methodology envisaged through the 3D modelling of the derailment
• The tracks were cleared using mini diggers and small plant to ensure the integrity of the line
• The existing embankment and newly created access road and crane platform were filled and reconstructed in accordance to a design proposed by JCL's designers
• The line was opened up initially under a speed restriction, once JCL were far enough removed from the line after 5 days works
• The entire line was open fully and JCL had demobilised off site within two weeks