AN accident-investigation report into a freight-train derailment at Skerries, Co Dublin, has revealed a culture of "slipshod" maintenance practices at Iarnród éireann's main workshop at Inchicore, which also services passenger trains.

Nobody was injured in the incident, which occurred in January 2008, due to the quick thinking of the freight-train driver, who used a line-prevention device to avert a potential collision with a nearby passenger train.

But the incident, involving an ore train travelling from Tara mines in Meath to Dublin port, crippled Dublin commuter rail services for almost a week as the line was repaired.

A subsequent report by the Rail Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU), obtained by the Sunday Tribune, indicates the derailment was caused by a bearing failure which should have been spotted by Iarnród éireann.

It stated that the bearing hadn't been overhauled for 26 years due to poor maintenance practices at Inchicore.

"Detailed maintenance documentation was not available and traceability of safety-critical components such as bearings was not possible. Wheelsets [axle units including bearings] were exchanged between wagons in an uncontrolled manner, which may have led to wheelsets missing maintenance inspections and overhaul," stated the report.

The RAIU also found that Iarnród éireann missed a chance to prevent the incident because scanning equipment at Drogheda, designed to spot axle faults, was incorrectly set. The train passed through this equipment during its journey. If the scanner had been triggered, the train would have been stopped immediately.

Fine Gael transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd said the RAIU's report's findings were shocking and that transport minister Noel Dempsey and Iarnród éireann bosses should face the Oireachtas transport committee to explain how the incident occurred.

"The public needs assurances from Iarnród éireann that these maintenance issues have been resolved. We also need to find out whether these slipshod practices were limited to its freight-wagon maintenance or whether passenger trains were involved," he said.

But an Iarnród éireann spokesman did not specifically address the issue of whether different maintenance practices applied to passenger trains serviced at Inchicore. He indicated that the company did not accept the RAIU's comments about procedures at the works.

"Wheelsets are designed to be interchangeable between wagons with no risk whatsoever, and the phrase 'uncontrolled' does not reflect this. In fact, when wheelsets are exchanged between wagons the wheelsets are thoroughly tested, measured and approved for service," he said.

"Freight wheelsets have no relation to passenger carriages. That said, the same strong procedures apply for other fleet types. In addition, recording standards have been dramatically strengthened across all fleets, including prior to this accident."

He said the company's investigation had found that the bearing failure was caused by a manufacturing fault, a theory which was dismissed by the RAIU probe. He added that the type of bearing involved had now been removed from Iarnród éireann's fleet and that the settings on the scanning device at Drogheda had been altered since the incident.