Car that collided with Mayo train was sent down country road by sav nav
A CAR involved in a collision with a train in Mayo had been sent down a country road by sat nav after taking a wrong turn.
The accident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. on September 9, 2023, at the unattended Prendergast’s Level Crossing (LC XM190), between Ballyhaunis and Claremorris, and involved the Heuston to Westport passenger service.
The car involved was travelling on the rural local road L65516, which links the N60 with another local road, L5551, and onto the N17.
The driver of the car had taken a wrong turn at Claremorris and their satellite navigation system diverted them onto these local roads, which routed them over LC XM190 to continue their journey, a report from the Railway Accident Investigation Unit Ireland (RAIU) found.
The gates at LC XM190 had been left open to road traffic by a previous unknown user.
The train driver saw the car approaching the crossing and sounded the horn and applied an emergency brake. As the train slowed, the driver saw that the car was also slowing while arriving onto LC XM190, coming to a “standstill” on the railway line.
There was insufficient time to bring the train to a stop and a collision occurred.
The car was propelled 31 metres into an adjacent field. Its two occupants were injured (the passenger sustained life-changing injuries) and they were treated at the scene before being airlifted to hospital.
The RAIU report said the car driver was unfamiliar with Occupational Public (OP) type level crossings and as a result did not react to three advance warning signs (Sign W 121) or stop at the Stop Sign or Stop Line to look for approaching trains.
Another factor identified in the report was that Sign W 121 does not portray clear meaning that the user is approaching a a hazard (i.e. live railway), and does not indicate the severity of not adhering to the warning (i.e. being struck by a train).
At the time of the accident, a Decision Support System (DSS), which provides information for users on the approach of trains, was present at LC XM190 but had not been commissioned as a result of difficulty in getting electricity to the location.
In addition, prior to and after the accident, the Department of Transport and relevant stakeholders were undergoing a pilot programme in relation to advance warning Sign W 121, and additional traffic calming measures at OP Type level crossings.
A new sign is currently being trialled at two OP Type level crossings. This new sign, Sign W126, depicts a train striking a car, with a 'collision' element, clearly illustrating the hazard and the severity of the hazard if the sign is not adhered to the warning.
Initial feedback from level crossing users is in favour of the proposed new sign.
The RAIU investigation resulted in two safety recommendations:
The Department of Transport should continue to trial the new design sign (Sign W126), in consultation with the stakeholders, with a view to replacing Sign W121. The RAIU maintain that the advance warning signs on the approaches to OP Type level crossings should portray the hazard and indicate the severity of not adhering to the warning.
These should replace the existing warning sign once included in the Traffic Signs Manual.
The RAIU has contacted Google in terms of possible warnings on Google Maps.