Rail Accidents
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-24
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Seán Canney (IND), Galway East

I thank the Deputy for the question. Rail safety is an important priority for me and my Department. The total number of collisions involving heavy rail in Ireland between 2016 and 2025 amounts to 842 according to the 2025 annual report of the Commission for Railway Regulation, CRR, which was published in June.  This figure covers a variety of collisions, with the vast majority due to train collisions with large animals on the line or other obstacles on the line.
Train collisions with other vehicles are rare. In 2025, there was one train collision with a motor vehicle. No train-on-train collisions on active rail lines have occurred in the previous ten years. I can provide the Deputy with a table showing a breakdown of the year-on-year collisions and the category of these collisions based on the CRR report.
The CRR is Ireland's independent railway safety regulator and has been a central part of the State's railway safety framework since its establishment under the Railway Safety Act 2005.
Its core mission is to promote, oversee and enforce safety across the rail sector, ensuring that railway operators maintain the highest standards of safety for passengers, workers and the wider public. Through inspections, audits, authorisations, compliance monitoring and enforcement activities, the CRR works to ensure operators meet both national and European safety requirements.

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Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-24