When I wrote post (6) (see here) in the series with this title I thought I had covered the majority of the issues with the funicular.  I arrived at the conclusion that yes the repairs would work but with no idea of the longevity of those repairs. Job done.

Then, on 04/05/2021 it was reported in the magazine New Civil Engineer that on the evening of 03/05/2021

Some of you may have also seen the news footage and YouTube videos.

The next two photos are from the BBC news website and illustrate  before and after the collapse.

There is no mention of what repairs or strengthening were carried out in order to bring the line back into service but presumably they were designed in accordance with all the correct regulations in force and the designs would have been checked by a suitably qualified engineering consultancy!

Now some may say “oh well cracks had appeared as a result of an earlier earthquake which must have been the cause of the collapse”, but, again from BBC news:-

This structure was only finished in 2012 and yet elevated parts of the line, including the collapsed  section, had to be closed for multiple repairs in 2014.

The suggestion is therefore that the original construction may have been at fault.  How much of this is similar to the situation with the Cairngorm funicular and the damage that it has suffered, not just between two piers but along its whole length?

The Mexican authorities have promised a full investigation into the collapse, including concerns about design problems and construction standards amongst other allegations. Now compare that to HIE’s and ex-rural affairs minister Fergus Ewing’s determination to ensure that there will be no public inquiry into what happened in the past or into the future huge waste of public funds that is to be devoted to repairing and maintaining a substandard installation.

Let’s hope that history does not repeat itself.