There were 89 incidents at level crossings around the country last year, of which 20 were serious.

Figures from Irish Rail say the incidents resulted in a person, vehicle, or property being struck by a train or barrier.

The majority of them involved vehicles, while five involved pedestrians.

In one incident in Dublin, a lady pushing a pram was hit by the barrier as it closed, narrowly avoiding serious injury.

Separately, a pedestrian under the influence of alcohol was spotted on the tracks, having ignored level crossing warning signs that a train was approaching.

There are more than 150 unattended railway level crossings around the country, most of them on minor roads with little traffic.