RAIL SERVICES WERE suspended in both directions for a time this morning between Clonsilla in Dublin and Maynooth in Co Kildare as gardaí responded to a vandalism incident on the 5.40am service from Longford to Pearse.

A group of three men, believed to have been under the influence of drugs, were smashing windows and pulling the emergency cord on the train. Gardaí were called in as the trouble continued, and chased two of the men down the track.

According to Barry Kenny of Irish Rail, there would have been “around 200″ people on board this morning’s service.

“It’s a confined space, obviously. We’d like to apologise to everyone affected,” Kenny said.

The emergency cord was pulled several times by the men, Kenny said, explaining that the train eventually ended up a around 200 metres from Leixlip’s Louisa Bridge Station.

As the men continued to cause problems, the train driver put a call in to Irish Rail’s Central Control, who alerted gardaí.

Chase

However, as the officers arrived at the scene, two of the men prised open a door and fled down the tracks — pursued by the guards. They were eventually apprehended.

A third young man — who is not believed to have been directly involved in the vandalism — was allowed off the train in Leixlip. CCTV footage from the carriage will now be reviewed to determine the full extent off the offences committed.

The trains between Clonsilla and Maynooth were suspended as the chase down the tracks took place. The situation was resolved at around 8am.

Kenny said there had been some knock-on delays but that they were “easing relatively quickly”.

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