Death of local leads to new tensions over rail works
Dublin People 09 Mar 2012
TENSIONS have again arisen between North Strand
residents and Irish Rail over ongoing works on the line in the area.
Homeowners have been at loggerheads with the company
over noise emanating from works on the overhead railway line since October.
Northside People recently highlighted how residents
were at their wits’ end as a result of the nighttime works that had been taking
place from 1am to 5am.
Following our article, Irish Rail agreed to consult
with residents and Dublin City Council and works have since been taking place
during the day.
Tensions
While the arrangement has been working well, tensions
arose again last week when Irish Rail refused a request to halt works following
the death of a well-respected member of the James’s Street North community.
Marc Winters, a resident of the area, had requested a
temporary cessation of the work.
“I had asked for the work to be cancelled out of
respect for the passing of a valued member of the community,
? he told Northside
People.
“Perhaps I’m of an old-school generation but I know I
certainly wouldn’t want work taking place outside my house if my mother passed
away.
“The lady was a highly respected member of our
community and I would have expected that the period of mourning for her family
would not be disrupted by Irish Rail and their agents.
?
Mr Winters accepted, however, that the situation with Irish
Rail in relation to the contentious work has improved in recent weeks.
“The works being carried out during the day are much
quieter compared to what they had been and at least now we are getting some
sleep at night,
? he stated.
“It seems the workers are using more hand based tools
rather than the heavy machinery but we suspect that this might be because the
noise levels are being monitored at the moment.
Naïve
“It’d be naïve to think that they suddenly don’t need
to use the heavy machinery that was used during the nights since October.
“It would be too good to be true to think that’s the
last issue we’ll have with Irish Rail about the railway works.
?
A spokesman for Irish Rail said it suspended work for
one week recently to allow discussions with Dublin City Council and local
residents about how works could proceed effectively and without
inconvenience.
“We sympathise with the community for their loss,
? he
told Northside People.
“However, we do require to resume the works at this
time.
“Following consultations, works on the adjacent
freight line are now taking place during daytime hours using hand tools.
“Additional noise monitoring is taking place with the
results being forwarded to Dublin City Council.
“New noise mitigation measures are now being tested
and implemented with city council environmental health officers being kept
fully informed.
?
The spokesperson said information leaflets containing
the local number for contacting Irish Rail’s community liaison office were
being distributed to residents on a weekly basis.
“There has been a lot of interaction with Dublin City
Council and local residents regarding this matter,
? he added.
“The majority of heavy engineering works are now
complete.
“This, coupled with the new mitigation measures in
place, should result in local residents experiencing a much-improved
situation.
?
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