Iarnród Éireann announces significant change to Ireland's longest railway bridge

Iarnród Éireann has announced plans to pin Ireland's longest railway bridge in the open-to-shipping position. 

The plans for the Barrow Bridge on the Wexford Waterford rail line come after an incident in February 2022 when a ship struck the bridge, resulting in the need for significant repairs costing in the region of €5 to €10 million. 

The repairs are expected to commence once funding has been obtained from the vessel’s insurers. 

However, a group called South East on Track, which campaigns for better rail services in the South East region, is calling for work to proceed as soon as possible without waiting for funding from insurers. 

They cite a similar incident in 1991 when a ship struck the bridge and required repairs in the region of £3 to £5 million.

The repairs were completed in three months despite a High Court case involving Irish Rail and the ship's insurers lasting until 2001. 

According to South East on Track, the Wexford-Waterford railway line is currently under examination for reopening as part of the All Island Strategic Rail Review. They state it is imperative the Barrow Bridge being out of service does not impact the overall viability of the line. 

It's expected the bridge will be pinned to the open position by the end of December 2022.