Rail commuters experienced delays of up to 45 minutes earlier today on train services in the Portarlington area due to a signalling fault.
Iarnród Éireann said lightning in the area had affected the signalling system and caused delays to trains running in both directions.
Affected trains included Cork to Dublin, Portlaoise to Dublin, Galway to Dublin and Westport to Dublin services.
Barry Kenny of Iranród Éireann said due to the fault the fail safe system had been activated causing all the signals to turn red. He said trains are progressing through the area but on a “slower basis” building to a cumulative delay averaging about 30 minutes.
Mr Kenny said staff are working to rectify the problem but as it is in relation to weather conditions and there has been a continuous issue with lightning over the last hour it is “hard to predict exactly” when services will return to normal.
There are also reports of flooding on some roads especially in the midlands following heavy rain. The AA advised motorists to take care and to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.