Stay Safe, Stay off the Tracks this Summer

01 July 2021

Singer-songwriter Damien Dempsey joins with Iarnród Éireann to highlight the dangers of rail trespass

Singer Damien Dempsey has joined with Iarnród Éireann to highlight the dangers of trespass on the railway line, as school holidays begin for hundreds of thousands of children.

Dempsey features in one of a series of videos, shared with schools adjacent to the DART line in recent weeks, which will be highlighted on Iarnród Éireann’s social media in the summer months.  The videos feature:

• Renowned Dublin singer Damien Dempsey, recalling how he and a friend were almost killed by a train as a child when trespassing, and encouraging young people to focus on their passions, which for him was music
• DART driver Aidan Martin, who grew up in the railway community of Kilbarrack, and talks about what it means to him and other train drivers when they see children putting themselves in harm’s way
• Near-miss incidents involving people of all ages on the railway line, or sitting on platform edges

So far in 2021 on our railway network, there have been 28 near misses, in which drivers had to brake to avoid striking trespassers.

Trains and railways are central to our communities, and hold a fascination for many children in particular.  However, in a minority of cases, railways can become a venue which see incidents of trespass or anti-social behaviour develop.  All such situations pose a risk to those involved, or to others using the railway.  Trains cannot swerve, and take an extended distance to come to a complete halt, so for anyone trespassing the risk of serious injury or death is clear.

Iarnród Éireann thanks schools for ensuring awareness of the dangers of trespass, and calls on parents of children who live adjacent to railway lines to ensure that our railways, and most importantly our children, are kept safe.