Iarnród Éireann shares terrifying near miss to highlight dangers of cutting across tracks
Iarnród Éireann have shared CCTV footage of a near miss collision to highlight the danger to the public of taking a short cut across train tracks.
The CCTV footage from Kilbarrack station in December 2016 shows a trespasser avoid being killed by a split second, as the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise speeds through at 140 kilometres per hour.
The company urged an end to track trespass, revealing that train drivers had 32 “category 1” near misses in 2016 with trespassers, which required drivers to hit the brakes to avoid hitting a person.
Other clips from the busy DART station in a warning video issued today show people 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 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.”
“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 example and responsibility also."
