The continued use of unmanned railway crossings was defended by Iarnód Éireann last night after a nun was killed in a collision with a train at a crossing in Co Limerick.
Sister Joan Bowles, believed to be in her 50s, died instantly when she drove her Ford Focus into the path of a passenger train at Woodfarm between Killonan and Dromkeen.
She had just collected a wedding cake for her niece, who was due to be married today, and had turned back after realising she had forgotten some flowers.
The train's driver and six passengers were unharmed, although a number received treatment for shock.
Woodfarm is one of 200 manual crossings which remain in use across the State, four years after an internal Iarnód Éireann report recommended that they be upgraded due to safety concerns.
The study was ordered after a young woman was killed at a crossing in Roscommon in 1997.
The Limerick crossing had been earmarked for development into a overbridge, but the company has been unable to purchase enough land to proceed.
In 1999 the same crossing was the scene of a crash between a milk lorry and a train.
No one was seriously injured in the accident.
Last night an Iarnód Éireann spokesman insisted that manual crossings were not dangerous.
"The number of dangerous incidents recorded at these crossing is extremely low.
"We are constantly upgrading the crossings to make them as safe as possible." The train had left Limerick at 4.32 p.m., bound for Limerick junction. The collision occurred at 4.50 p.m.
The alarm was raised by the train driver who was in contact with central control and alerted the emergency services.
Iarnód Éireann's manager of the Limerick district, Mr Brian Kelly, who was at the scene, said an internal inquiry into the circumstances of the accident would be carried out.
Sister Bowles's remains were removed to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.
A post-mortem is to be conducted this morning.
A native of Oola, Co Limerick, Sister Bowles was a member of the Mercy order and a director of the Limerick Youth Service.
A neighbour who tried to rescue Sister Bowles from the wreckage of her car dislocated his shoulder and was treated in hospital.
Two hours after last night's accident the passengers were taken by car to Limerick Junction.