Rail services delayed after truck hits bridge in Portlaoise

Irish rail passengers travelling through Portlaoise face delays of up to 40 minutes after a truck hit a bridge.

The truck became struck under the railway bridge on the Ridge Road near Portlaoise on Wednesday evening.

Irish Rail has now advised that a full service has resumed following the earlier stoppage, but delays continue.

Last year, there were 92 incidents of vehicles striking rail bridges, a slight increase on 2015 figures. Such incidents cause significant disruption to rail users as a bridge’s integrity must be checked after each impact before it can be used again.