DUBLIN, Ireland: Nearly 2,000 hours of delays caused by bomb scares, kids throwing stones, sun glare, and animals wandering on the tracks have hampered Irish Rail Services over the past two years.

The rail operator said more than 7,500 trains were delayed by these unusual, or external obstruction incidents, in 2024 and 2025.

According to information released under Freedom of Information laws, even small incidents—such as a fallen tree—can cause major delays on the rail network.

In 2024, one fallen tree led to 6,400 minutes of delays, which is about 106 hours, affecting 251 train services.

The biggest delay that year happened when a passenger became ill on a train. That single incident caused 8,736 minutes of delays across 623 trains.

People entering the railway tracks also caused frequent disruptions, Irish Rail said. In one case in 2024, 590 train services were delayed for about 113 hours due to people being on the tracks.

Animals wandering onto the railway lines were another common problem. Farm animals and pets caused hundreds of train delays in 2024 and 2025 after getting onto the tracks.

Bridge strikes were also a regular issue. These happen when trucks or cars hit railway bridges, forcing trains to stop while the bridge is inspected for damage. Nearly 500 train services were delayed by such incidents in 2024.

Vandalism and anti-social behaviour also caused problems. Some delays happened because people threw stones at trains, while other incidents involved objects placed on tracks or debris blocking overhead power lines.

Irish Rail also reported disruptions caused by bomb alerts, fires near rail lines, and landslides.

Weather conditions such as fog, lightning, storms, flooding, and snow also led to delays, sometimes affecting dozens of train services.

There were also some unusual causes. In one case, strong sunlight made it difficult for a train driver to see clearly. In another, a person was sitting on a platform with their legs hanging over the edge.

Other incidents included passengers getting off trains without permission, people boarding the wrong train, and passengers holding doors open.

One case involved "scutting," where a person held onto the outside of a train carriage, causing a short delay.

Irish Rail also reported people tampering with safety equipment, placing objects in train doors, and serious graffiti that forced a train to be taken out of service.