Level Crossings between Booterstown and Lansdowne Road

[Eddie]

I was on a northbound Dart yesterday morning (13 October) that pulled into Sandymount at about 8.30am which was stopped in its tracks by yet another "Amber Gambler" road vehicle that knocked the barrier off and onto the tracks (visible from the station). Hundreds of passengers got off knowing that there was going to be at least a 30-45min minute delay, and it would be quicker to complete their journey by foot, bus or taxi.

I got a bus to Pearse and just after 9, the first Dart resumed going northbound. I'm not sure if this was originally a southbound train that just turned back (it seemed to come in from the opposite line) or my original Dart (though this would have seemed too quick).

What was quite impressive was the speed with which the barrier must have been fixed. Do the barriers just slot back in when they are knocked out by vehicles?

What was less impressive was that the northbound Dart I caught was terminating at Connolly and we were assured there was another one right behind. There wasn't. It was about another 20-25 minutes before we could continue north of Connolly, doubling the original delay. Why was it considered more important for that one driver to get back on to his schedule than minimising the further delay of the 50-100 passengers waiting at Connolly?

Are there any consequences for vehicles that break the barriers? Is there CCTV that captures them and fines them? However, even a €60 fine plus a couple of licence points seems a bit inadequate given the impact they cause hundreds of peak time passengers.

And finally, if I had been booked on a train from Heuston and this happened, should I have to pay a surcharge if, as a consequence, I missed my train and had to catch the next one?

I know there are several level crossings between Booterstown and Lansdowne Road, but these incidents seem to occur too frequently.