Irish Rail appeals to public to stop crossing train lines after 32 'near misses'

Irish Rail has appealed to people risking their lives by crossing train lines to stop after it emerged there were 32 near misses on the network last year.

Video footage shot by CCTV at Kilbarrack station on the north-side of Dublin shows one such incident, with a passenger strolling across the rail tracks and making it to the other platform a split second before a train hurtles by.

Iarnród Éireann said there had been 32 “category 1” near misses in 2016 involving trespassers on the tracks and in which drivers had to hit the brakes to avoid hitting a person.

Of those 32 episodes, three took place in Kilbarrack, which is on the Dart line and is also the route for the Drogheda/Dundalk commuter train and the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise service.

The CCTV footage captures an incident from last December, the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise train travelling at an estimated 140km/h and narrowly avoiding the person crossing the tracks.

There were more than 200 trespass incidents, including the 32 category 1 episodes, reported by Iarnród Éireann drivers last year, with a total of 32 relating to Kilbarrack.

Other footage captured at that station shows trespassers crossing the track with bikes, and even a toddler being carried across in a stroller.

A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann said: “Any one of these trespass incidents at Kilbarrack, or any one of the 32 ‘category 1’ near misses around the network could have resulted in a tragic and needless death or catastrophic injuries.

“A parent carrying a stroller who falls and hurts themselves or their child leaves the driver of the train in an impossible situation — trains take considerable distances to come to a halt even at moderate speeds, and a train cannot swerve around a stricken trespasser.

“Furthermore, modern tracks and trains are a lot more silent and customers may not be aware they are approaching — as can be seen from the extraordinary escape one trespasser had last December.

“Trespassers have been seen crossing with headphones meaning their awareness will be dramatically reduced.”

The company said it did not know why people were choosing to risk their lives by crossing the tracks, particularly as there is a stairway and a ramp available at Kilbarrack so facilitate moving from one platform to another.

The spokesperson said of the latest awareness campaign: “This is more than just a warning to young people, and to their parents to ensure they know of the risks, though this is of course critically important.

“The footage from Kilbarrack, where we have installed platform end barriers to counteract the problem, shows trespassers are adults and children, and adults must show an example and responsibility also.”

No other station around the country had three category 1 incidents as was the case in Kilbarrack, and the Irish rail spokesperson said the overall figure of 32 could be “the tip of the iceberg”.