Welcome to the webpage of the Chief Civil Engineer’s (CCE) Department of Iarnród Éireann. This webpage gives information on the CCE Department as well as contact details.
Who we are
The maintenance and renewal of the track, structures and buildings of Iarnród Éireann is the responsibility of the Chief Civil Engineer. Track and structures maintenance activity is carried out by three regional Divisions. Maintenance of facilities and buildings is carried out by four building maintenance Districts. The specialised plant equipment and materials, necessary to maintain the network are based in depots at Portlaoise and Kildare. HQ is at the railway works in Inchicore in Dublin.
There are over 900 staff in the Chief Civil Engineer’s Department. These include engineers, technical staff, supervisors, permanent way staff and craft workers, all supported by administrative staff. All inherit and continue the proud tradition, of over 175 years, of maintaining the Irish railway.
We maintain the following in the Iarnród Éireann network:
2288 km of Track
4550 Bridges
1440 Level crossings
140 Stations and other IÉ buildings
1860 Embankments
1440 Cuttings
14 Tunnels
Routine infrastructure maintenance is carried out between trains during the day and also at night by CCE staff. Major maintenance requiring long possessions is accommodated throughout the year by implementing special traffic arrangements.
The track maintenance system on Iarnród Éireann is now totally mechanised. A range of specialised machines are used for track maintenance – such as tamping and aligning the track.
Track, structures and buildings are inspected on a regular basis. Additional diagnostic tools for track include routine ultrasonic testing of all rails, as well as regular runs by a Track Inspection Vehicle using state-of-the-art laser equipment, with gives detailed output of the track condition.
Bridges are maintained and repaired using specialised staff. Every year there are a number of renewals of bridges ranging from small to large span.
The Facilities and Buildings section maintains the IÉ station buildings and other facilities to a high level. There is a regionally based network of skilled staff which carries out this work.
Safety is a priority in the CCE Department. The track and other assets are maintained to a high level of safety. In addition care is taken to ensure that the maintenance work as carried out in a safe manner in respect of staff and the general public.
Useful Information
Bridge Heights
Every year, many railway bridges are hit by road vehicles, which can affect the track and cause delays to trains. click here for more information on the heights of Iarnród Éireann bridges.
Level Crossings
There are more than 1300 Unattended Level Crossings on the Iarnród Éireann Network. These are crossings where the user opens and shuts the gates. At these crossings it is the responsibility of the user to ensure that it is safe to cross and that trains and their passengers are not endangered. To get more information click here to download a pdf version of the Unattended Level Crossing Safety Booklet
Third Parties
Outside agencies frequently wish to carry out works which affect the railway. These can range from laying pipes under the railway, to construction of bridges over the line. To get information on the processes involved click here.
