The derailment of a DublinWestport train in November was due to a fault on the track which a routine inspection the day before the accident did not detect, an inquiry has found.
The inquiry by Iarnrod Eireann concluded that the accident was caused by the failure of a track joint on the line near the village of Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon.
Four of the 13 people treated following the accident on November 8th were detained in hospital with minor injuries. There were 180 passengers on the train. All sections of the train, except the locomotive, were derailed, but remained upright.
The company said it had recently reviewed and improved its track inspection process as one of several measures to upgrade safety on the railway.
The report was presented yesterday to the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs O'Rourke. She last night welcomed the company's steps to improve rail safety and said her Department's railway inspecting officer would consider following up the findings and recommendations of the report.
The Minister said her Department's own rail safety review was expected in six months.