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82% increase in number of incidents at level crossings so far this year

There has been an 82% increase in the number of incidents at level crossings this year compared t...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

13.56 6 Jun 2019


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82% increase in number of inci...

82% increase in number of incidents at level crossings so far this year

Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

13.56 6 Jun 2019


Share this article


There has been an 82% increase in the number of incidents at level crossings this year compared to last year, according to Irish Rail.

The rail company is calling for greater vigilance on International Level Crossing Awareness Day - and has released footage of some of the crashes and near misses at Irish crossings.

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There are 948 level crossings on the network, and 51 incidents have been reported so far this year.

In Dublin, the Sutton Station barrier alone has been struck ten times already in 2019.

Serpentine Avenue, Sydney Parade and Lansdowne Road are among other crossings that are regularly struck.

In Europe, level crossing accidents account for 1.2% of road deaths but 29% of all rail fatalities.

There have been no level crossing fatalities in Ireland since 2010, but authorities are urging people to be vigilant.

Jim Meade, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, said: "I am appealing to all road users, be they motorists, pedestrians or cyclists to stop at level crossings.

"We are working to make user operated level crossings safer with new technology, but the majority of these incidents are occurring at automated level crossings in built up areas, where there is ample warning that the level crossing is coming into operation."

Irish Rail says it is working to remove as many level crossing as possible, and 63 crossings were closed between 2014 and 2018.

Main image and video: Irish Rail

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