Visually-impaired woman killed by oncoming train in Dublin

A woman was killed yesterday after she fell on to the track at Raheny Dart station in north Dublin and was struck by an oncoming commuter train.

The incident occurred at 1.45pm when the woman, who was aged 57 and lived locally, was waiting for a northbound Dart service.

She accidentally fell on to the track and was hit by the 1.30pm Pearse to Drogheda service which does not stop at Raheny.

The woman was visually impaired and carried a white cane for walking. It is believed she moved forward to the edge of the platform as the train was approaching and lost her footing.

The incident was witnessed by a young Spanish student on the opposite platform who attempted to warn the woman that a train was approaching.

The student then ran up the platform to signal to the driver that someone was on the track.

When the driver became aware of what was unfolding, he immediately applied the emergency brake but it was not possible to stop the train in time.

It is understood the driver’s efforts to stop the train resulted in just the first half of the first carriage coming into contact with the woman.

The emergency services were contacted, and Dublin City Fire Brigade dispatched a fire truck, an emergency tender, a district officer and an ambulance to the scene. The woman was conscious while officers worked to extricate her from under the train.

A spokesman for Dublin City Fire Brigade said it was his understanding heavy cutting equipment had not been required and that the woman had been freed "pretty quickly". She received treatment at the scene and en route to Beaumont Hospital, but died shortly afterwards. Her family were notified by gardaí.

There is not thought to have been many people on the platform at the time apart from a small group of Spanish students. Passengers on board the train were moved to the rear carriages as emergency services worked to save the woman.

The driver of the train was "quite shaken up" in the immediate aftermath, but a statement from Iarnród Éireann said he would receive "counselling and support" following the incident.

Services were suspended between Howth Junction and Connolly as the emergency services attended the scene. The line reopened to services at 2.45pm.

The statement from Iarnród Éireann said it wished to convey “its sympathies to the victim’s family and friends for their tragic loss”.