Iarnrod Eireann had to close its train line between Limerick and Ennis over the weekend due to an injured cow blocking the route.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon (August 2), causing the line to be closed until the cow could be moved.

Bus transfers between the two stations were in operation while the route was closed, before it reopened at around 3:30pm that evening.

It is unknown what happened to the cow or what its condition is now.

Train avoids disaster

On the topic of trains, earlier in the year, a tractor and train nearly crossed paths – with close to devastating results.

A speeding train narrowly avoided a potentially catastrophic crash with a tractor and baler at a level crossing in the UK in July.

The video, shot from the cab of the train, was posted on Twitter by the British Transport Police (BPT) Leicestershire at the time.

The footage showed a train speeding down along the tracks as it approached a rural level crossing.

With the level crossing in sight, a driver of a Fendt tractor and a New Holland big square baler decides to cross the tracks with the train approaching.

In what must have been the tightest of margins, a collision is avoided. The train flew through the level crossing – missing the rear of the baler by a matter of inches – before coming to a halt further down the line.

The train came to a halt nearly 10 seconds after it passed the level crossing, which gave an indication of the speed it must have been travelling at.

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