Railway tracks on precipice

A new report into coastal erosion in Rosslare has identified a section of clifftop railway line that is at serious risk of disappearing and will cost an ‘astronomical’ amount of money to protect.

The report by RPS Consulting Engineers which was commissioned by Wexford County Council has serious implications for Irish Rail which was due to be presented with a copy after the findings were outlined to members of Wexford Borough District Council.

The report identifies an area of railway line near Rosslare Harbour that is at risk of further erosion but the recommendations of the consultants do not include works to protect the tracks as that is considered a matter for Irish Rail.

Sections of cliffs in the area retreated 15 metres between 2005 and 2012, according to the findings.

‘The railway line is at severe risk over the next few years’, reported senior local authority engineer Gerry Forde at a Wexford Council meeting.

‘Part of the cliffs have retreated by 15 metres. It’s a serious issue for the railway line between Rosslare Strand and Rosslare Harbour’, he said.

Cllr. Tony Walsh of People Before Profit said he never realised how much coastal erosion was threatening the rail line and he wondering how much the problem featured in Irish Railway’s maintenance of the line.

Mr. Forde said not much anti-erosion work had been done in the area over the past 1o to 15 years apart from work carried out by Rosslare Golf Club.

‘I will be giving Irish Rail a copy of this report. the cliffs are very high. The cost of protecting high cliffs would be astronomical, but that is a matter for Irish Rail’, he said.