The Irish Times article on Irish Rail signalling is off the rails

The weekend edition of The Irish Times carries a lengthy article on the problems Irish Rail are having with the introduction of the new Train Management System (TMS).

The almost page-long article never explains exactly what the problems are. It talks about IT systems and accumulated losses of €50 million. It tells the reader Irish Rail have lost confidence in Indra, the Spanish contractor.

It goes into accountancy minutiae but never once does it tell the reader what actually the new TMS will do or in what way is it going to improve on the current Centralised Traffic Control (CTC).

What will be the differences between the new TMS and the  current CTC systems. Telling the reader it has to do with IT software problems is laughable and meaningless. It does say there the Indra project has been beset with delays and cost overruns.

It mentions that Irish Rail’s planned building at Connolly Station to house the new National Train Control Centre had been refused planning permission by Dublin City Council. But the article never once mentions that the building  to house the new NTCC has now been completed at a site adjacent to Heuston Station. The gardaí are in a floor of the new building since May, where the Garda communication control centre for the Dublin metropolitan area is based.

Is that really the best The Irish Times can manage on a serious issue concerning millions of euro of public money?