A train driver was today hailed a hero for possibly saving “many lives” due to his quick thinking in last night’s Suffolk rail crash.

Sources today confirmed the driver’s incredibly fast response – and said the injuries could have been far worse if some passengers hadn’t been prepared for the crash.

One source said:” Passengers on the train said they felt the brakes come on hard and then the driver rushed out to tell them to brace themselves for a crash seconds before the impact.”

The driver was one of those more seriously injured because he was not in a seat at the time of the impact because he was warning the passengers about what was about to happen.

It is understood that he has broken bones but he is not in a critical condition and he is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries.

Guidelines issued to drivers of this kind of train tell them that if a collision is inevitable they should put on the brakes as hard as possible and then warn passengers that a collision is imminent – and that the driver in this case did exactly what is in the rule book.