Man (31) dies after being struck by a train at Co Mayo level crossing

A 31-year-old man has died after he was struck by a train in Co Mayo on Tuesday.

The incident happened at Knockaphunta, between Westport and Castlebar, shortly before 8am and involved the 7.15am Westport to Dublin Heuston service. Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene at an Irish Rail level crossing. The crossing has been the scene of a number of non-fatal crashes involving cars and trains in the last decade. It is understood the man was a European national.

Irish Rail said the Railway Accident Investigation Unit (RAIU) of the Department of Transport had been notified. It is expected the unit will launch an investigation. The line was closed for several hours on Tuesday morning but has now reopened.

The Knockaphunta level crossing was previously the scene of a number of incidents, notably in October 2010 when a train from Athlone to Westport struck a car as it was attempting to reverse off the level crossing. The RAIU recommended Irish Rail upgrade the level crossing to ensure that its operation was not reliant on any direct action by the level crossing user. The RIAU found there had been “frequent misuse at the level crossing in relation to level crossing users leaving the gates open to the railway”.