Hundreds of rugby fans faced travel chaos today after a cross-border rail service from Belfast to Dublin was cancelled due to a dissident republican security alert.
The passengers had all booked a place on three sold-out “rugby special” trains laid on for the Ireland-Scotland Six Nations championship match at Croke Park tomorrow.
But operator Translink has pulled those Enterprise services after the line was closed at Newry, Co Down, today following reports of a suspect device on the line.
“It is unlikely that normal services will have resumed before tomorrow’s International Rugby Match in Dublin between Ireland and Scotland,” a company spokeswoman explained.
All tickets are being refunded and passengers are being advised to take one of the additional Translink bus services that are being put on to accommodate them.
The buses will leave from the Europa bus centre in Belfast throughout tomorrow.
Scheduled Enterprise train services will run as planned tomorrow, but with delays likely as a result of a bus substitution between Newry and Dundalk.
The Newry incident came as the Real IRA claimed responsibility for four alerts in Derry today, causing widespread disruption throughout the city.
A police spokesman later said the alerts in Derry had been cleared and the roads reopened.
Motorists were also warned to avoid Belfast city centre this afternoon after a number of other alerts were reported in the Malone Road, Mount St South, Sandyknowse Roundabout, Wandsworth Road areas. There was also an alert in a Ballymena shopping centre.
One of the alerts followed a report that two masked men boarded a bus in the Ladybrook Park area of Belfast this afternoon before threatening the driver and leaving a suspicious package on the vehicle. The ATO was tasked and house in the immediate area were evacuated as a precaution.
A police spokeswoman later declared the alerts a hoax.