Iarnród Éireann employee avoided train in Offaly with just three seconds to spare

An Urgent Safety Advice notice has been issued to Iarnród Éireann following a number of near misses on train lines in the past three years involving members of staff. One of the incidents happened in Offaly with another incident happening just across the Westmeath border between Clara and Athlone.

The Railway Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU) issued the notice after eight reported near misses involving trains and Iarnród Éireann employees between February 27, 2023 and November 24, 2025.

In the incident in Offaly, an Iarnród Éireann employee avoided an oncoming train with three seconds to spare. The incident happened at Cloneygowan.

The RAIU said a patrol ganger, who is a person who is on patrolling duty, had their back to the approaching train which was coming towards them at 127kph. The individual managed to get to a position of safety with just three seconds to spare after they heard the train approaching.

According to the report, the sighting distance for the location of the patrol ganger was approximately 190 metres whereas the minimum sighting distance for the speed of the line is required to be 700 metres.

Another incident occurred between Clara and Athlone at Clonnydonnin, just across the border in Westmeath. On this occasion an Iarnród Éireann employee manage to step out of the way of an oncoming train, again with just seconds to spare, during foggy conditions.

According to the report, on October 9, 2023, a patrol ganger was undertaking a track patrol. Conditions were foggy at the start of the patrol but, as the patrol progressed, fog conditions became worse to the point that visibility was poor.

"A train approached at 126kph with the train driver only seeing the patrol ganger as they moved clear of the line,” the report states. “The patrol ganger saw the lights of the train (they did not hear the train) and stepped clear of the running line onto the adjacent siding (not a position of safety) approximately two to three seconds before the train passed."

The report said there were no injuries as a result of the incidents reported but it warned that the incidents pose 'a serious risk' to members of staff on the railway who could be hit by trains.