A RAIL passenger was killed in north Suffolk yesterday after being struck by a train as he walked along the railway track.British Transport Police are carrying out an investigation into the incident but it is not being treated as suspicious at this time.
By David Lennard
A RAIL passenger was killed in north Suffolk yesterday after being struck by a train as he walked along the railway track.
British Transport Police are carrying out an investigation into the incident but it is not being treated as suspicious at this time.
A police spokesman said the death appeared to have been an accident.
The 35-year-old man from the Lowestoft area had caught the 5.58am train from Lowestoft to Norwich and had wanted to get off at Oulton Broad North but had missed his stop.
The man, who is not being named, got off the train further up the line at Somerleyton.
His train arrived at Somerleyton at about 6.05am and after waiting for almost half-an-hour it is believed the man decided to walk back to Oulton Broad.
It appears he made the decision to walk along the track towards Oulton Broad but he had only got about 100 yards from Somerleyton station when at approximately 6.30am he was hit by a train heading towards Lowestoft.
The train was empty at the time and was coming from Norwich to be used on the early morning Lowestoft to London service.
No one on the train was injured in the incident.
"Enquiries into the tragedy are continuing but there is nothing at this stage to lead us into thinking that the death is in any way suspicious," said a spokesman for British Transport Police.
"It is a timely reminder of just how dangerous it can be for people of all ages to be on the railway lines.
"Fortunately it does not happen often but we do get reports of people, including children, seen walking on the railway," he said.
Suffolk police officers and ambulance crews were quickly on the scene but the man was declared dead at the scene.
A post mortem is likely to be held today at the James Paget Hospital at Gorleston.
The man's relatives have been informed of the tragedy and it is likely his name will be released later.
Train passengers in north Suffolk faced delays during the morning rush hour after the line was closed as British Transport officers investigated the accident scene.
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