SEVERAL people were injured today after a cement mixer fell from a bridge on to a passenger train, a Network Rail spokesman said.

The vehicle fell from an overbridge landing on coaches of a South West Trains service in Oxshott in Surrey just after 3pm this afternoon.

The spokesman said: “At around 1530 at Oxshott in Surrey the 1505 Guildford to London Waterloo service operated by South West Trains was halted when a cement mixer lorry came off an overbridge.

“The vehicle landed on some of the train’s coaches of an eight-coach unit. So far, there are no reports of fatalities though it is believed there are several people injured.”

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman said: “Police were called to the line near to Oxshott rail station after a report that a lorry had come off of a road bridge and landed on carriages of a passing passenger service.

“The incident was reported to police at 3.33pm. Officers are currently on scene, along with paramedics from the South East Coast Ambulance Service and the Surrey Fire service.

“The train involved was a Guildford to London Waterloo service.’’

The BTP spokesman said up to 40 people were on the train, four of whom suffered minor injuries.

He said the lorry driver is “more seriously injured’’.

A spokesman for Network Rail said the incident had taken place on a branch line, not a main line and therefore would not result in major disruption to the rail network.

It is thought that 36 people were on board at the time when it was hit.