Truck, believed to be carrying chemicals, gets wedged under bridge closing Limerick rail services
By David Raleigh
Train services between Limerick and Limerick Junction were cancelled earlier today after it was feared a meeting of a truck and a railway bridge had resulted in a possible leakage of chemicals from the vehicle's loader.
Services re-opened shortly after 3pm after the rail bridge structure, located over the Limerick - Kilmallock Road, was deemed safe by a Irish Rail engineers.
A truck believed to have been carrying a load of chemicals became wedged underneath the 4.4m high bridge around 2pm and the truck's load was hanging perilously to one side.
Irish Rail closed the line between Limerick and Limerick Junction and passengers on the 13:45pm and 14:45pm service continued their journeys by bus, provided by Iarnroid Eireann.
Gardaí closed off the road on both sides for around an hour while the truck was freed.
Four units of Limerick City and County Fire Service responded to the scene along with a recovery truck which is believed to have used a carne to pull the truck free.
The rail line and roadway were opened shortly after 3pm after a irish Rail engineers confirmed the bridge structure was safe.
A spokesperson for Iarnroid Eireann said: "It happened on the Kilmallock Road. The truck was stuck under the bridge. We were told there was a possible chemical leakage."
"Our engineers were on site they declared the bridge as safe. All services are back open," the spokesperson added.
