HGV Near Miss With Train at York Street, Belfast - March 2026
Summary
On 20 March 2026 at approximately 16:40, an HGV travelling northbound on the M2 motorway in Belfast collided with another road vehicle, left the carriageway, and breached the containment barrier separating the motorway from the parallel Belfast to Derry-Londonderry railway line. The HGV entered the railway cess adjacent to the up line, where it came to rest just clear of passing trains. Train B749, the 15:51 service from Larne Town to Belfast, approached the location; the driver applied brakes and passed the HGV at approximately 26 km/h without striking it. The HGV driver was injured in the initial road collision, and the incursion caused damage to the HGV, containment barrier, fencing, and railway infrastructure. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has opened an independent investigation to examine the management of road vehicle incursion risk at this location, the strategy for controlling such risk in Northern Ireland, and underlying management factors.
“At around 16:40 on 20 March 2026, a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) travelling along the northbound carriageway of the M2 motorway in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was involved in a collision with another road vehicle.”
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What changed
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has formally opened an investigation into a near miss incident at York Street, Belfast, where an HGV entered the railway after a road traffic collision on the adjacent M2 motorway. The incident occurred on 20 March 2026 and involved Train B749; no collision between the train and HGV occurred. The investigation will examine the adequacy of containment barriers at this location and the broader strategy for controlling road vehicle incursion risk onto Northern Ireland's railways. Rail infrastructure operators should monitor this investigation's findings, particularly regarding the physical separation between road carriageways and railway lines in parallel configurations.
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Apr 16, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
News story
Road vehicle incursion at York Street, Belfast
Investigation into a near miss between a train and a heavy goods vehicle near York Street, Belfast, 20 March 2026.
From: Rail Accident Investigation Branch Published 15 April 2026
The HGV vehicle incursion (courtesy of Northern Ireland Railways).
At around 16:40 on 20 March 2026, a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) travelling along the northbound carriageway of the M2 motorway in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was involved in a collision with another road vehicle. This collision resulted in the HGV leaving the carriageway and colliding with a containment barrier at the edge of the motorway.
At this location, the Belfast to Derry-Londonderry railway line runs parallel to the M2 motorway and the containment barrier forms part of the separation fencing between the motorway and the railway. The containment barrier did not prevent the HGV from leaving the carriageway and it was able to enter the railway, where it came to rest in the cess adjacent to the up line, just clear of passing trains.
Shortly after this occurred, train B749, the 15:51 service from Larne Town to Belfast, approached this location. The driver of the train saw the HGV ahead and applied the train’s brakes, passing the HGV at approximately 16 mph (26 km/h). The train did not strike any part of the HGV, and stopped at York Street station, where the driver informed the signaller of the incident.
The driver of the HGV was injured in the initial road traffic collision. The subsequent incursion onto the railway caused damage to the HGV, the containment barrier and fencing, and to railway infrastructure.
Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events which led to the incident. It will also consider:
- the management of road vehicle incursion risk at this location, including the type of containment in use
- the strategy for controlling the risk of road vehicle incursions onto the railway in Northern Ireland
- any relevant underlying management factors. Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the Heath and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland.
We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.
You can subscribe to automated emails notifying you when we publish our reports.
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Published 15 April 2026
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