Man dies after being struck by high-speed train

Rail services on the Cork-Dublin line were cancelled for nearly three hours yesterday after a man died after being struck by a high-speed train.

The 33-year-old man, believed to be from the Cork City suburb of Glasheen, was struck by the inter-city train south of Mallow at about 8.10am.

The accident happened at Lissard, Burnfort. The train was travelling south to Cork when it struck the man, killing him instantly.

Emergency services cordoned off the scene and his body was later removed to Cork University Hospital where an autopsy was due to be carried out.

Gardaí said it appeared the victim had driven to the Burnfort area and parked his car in a lay-by.

The line was immediately closed. Services were resumed shortly before 11am.

Supt Con Cadogan appealed for anybody who may have seen the man prior to the accident to contact gardaí.

He said the victim had parked a silver Toyota Yaris at a lay-by on the side of the northbound carriageway of the main Cork-Mallow road prior to accessing the railway line.

Supt Cadogan said the car, and probably the man, would have been spotted by a number of peak-time traffic drivers.

“It was parked near a sign, Welcome to Blackwater Valley, which is on the side of the northbound carriageway at Burnfort,” said Supt Cadogan.

It is believed the man could have left his car there as early as 7.45am.

“This is a very sad incident and I would like to express my deepest sympathies and those of the gardaí to the man’s family. We will not be releasing his name until all of his relatives have been contacted.

“We’d like to speak to people who travelled on the Cork-Mallow road after 7.45am and who may have seen this man.”

* Anybody with information is asked to contact Gurranabraher Garda Station at 021 4946200.