Iarnród Éireann has been issued an urgent safety advice notice after a series of near-miss incidents involving employees on the Irish Rail network over the past three years, the Railway Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU) has said. The warning — first reported by RTÉ News — highlights ongoing serious risks to staff working on or near tracks and calls for immediate action to improve worker safety.
The RAIU noted that there were eight reported near misses between February 2023 and November 2025 in which workers carrying out duties such as track patrolling, infrastructure inspections and fault rectification were placed in danger by passing trains.
In one case near Clonygowan, Co Offaly on 25 November last year, an employee walking along the track had their back to a train approaching at 127 km/h and only moved to safety with less than three seconds to spare.
In another in Co Westmeath on 9 October 2023, a worker on the Portarlington–Athlone line managed to get clear just before a train passed at 126 km/h in heavy fog.
Although none of the incidents resulted in injuries, the RAIU said they “pose a serious risk to members of staff on the railway who could be hit by trains, causing injuries or fatalities.” The watchdog’s advice stresses that a safe system of work cannot be achieved for staff working alone without a lookout on almost 50 per cent of the rail network because minimum sighting distances — the distance at which an approaching train must be visible to allow a worker sufficient time to reach safety — are not always met.
Among the RAIU’s recommendations is a call for the immediate cessation of all staff patrolling track on their own where these minimum sighting distances cannot be guaranteed. The unit also concluded that Iarnród Éireann has not fully discharged its duties under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Railway Safety Act 2005.
The RAIU’s role is to investigate railway accidents and incidents independently of the companies involved and to make safety recommendations designed to prevent future harm, rather than to assign blame. Its urgent safety advice notices are issued when early findings suggest action is needed before a full investigation is complete.
RAIU analysis of the network has also identified that nearly 10 per cent of the rail system contains quarter-mile sections classed as “very high risk”, with a further 37 per cent rated as “high risk” due to poor sighting distances, lack of safe refuge points and high train frequency.
Responding on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Barry Kenny, Head of Communications with Iarnród Éireann, said the safety of its workers is of “paramount importance.” He noted that the company has been investing in improvements to technology and processes to enhance safety, including scheduling all DART track inspections at night when there are no train movements. Regarding lone patrolling, Mr Kenny said that Iarnród Éireann has put in place “safe systems of work” to support staff and provide the safest possible environment.
The warning from the rail watchdog comes amid wider scrutiny of workplace safety across Ireland. While overall workplace-related fatalities were at a record low in 2024, recent figures suggest a concerning increase in workplace deaths in 2025, highlighting the importance of robust health and safety practices across all sectors.
The RAIU’s urgent safety notice now places pressure on Iarnród Éireann to act swiftly to address systemic safety issues and ensure that staff who work on or near live tracks are not unnecessarily exposed to life-threatening risks.
