AN INVESTIGATION was launched last night after six people were injured when a passenger train crashed into the buffers at a Suffolk railway station.The accident happened at Sudbury Station at about 6.

By James Mortlock

AN INVESTIGATION was launched last night after six people were injured when a passenger train crashed into the buffers at a Suffolk railway station.

The accident happened at Sudbury Station at about 6.30pm, but last night train operator one refused to speculate whether brake failure had been the cause.

A spokeswoman for the East Anglian Ambulance Service said that no-one was seriously hurt, and those injured were treated at the scene.

She said: “None had significant injuries and they were allowed to go home after we had looked at them.

“We suspect a few other people might have suffered minor injuries but made their way home without us being involved.

“We did not treat it as serious. No-one was seriously hurt and no-one required hospital treatment.”

However, an investigation is now under way to find out what caused the crash.

A British Transport Police spokesman said the accident took place at “low speed” and police and ambulance crews were on the scene.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk police described the casualties as “walking wounded”. She confirmed no-one had been taken to hospital for treatment.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said an investigation had begun into the cause of the accident. She said this may be passed to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.

She added that the train involved was the 6.05pm Marks Tey-to-Sudbury service. She said the train was the only one running on that line.

A spokeswoman for train operator one said the class 156 diesel train involved had two carriages.

She said: “It was travelling at low speed when it hit the buffers. There were a few injuries but they have been dealt with and did not require hospital treatment.

“There appears to be no damage to the train, it was a slow collision and all the passengers have gone home. It was a busy train, full of passengers.”

She added that buses were replacing train services last night and said a “full investigation” would take place into the cause of the accident.

Bob Munn, of British Transport Police, said there was some damage to the area connecting the two train carriages together.

“It is impossible to tell exactly how badly damaged it is until the unit is pulled away from the buffer. But we don't believe the train will be badly damaged.

“From a safety aspect, the trains are designed to withstand high-speed impact. We are talking walking speed here, and the damage reflects how strong these trains are. It is like a Rolls Royce hitting a walking cane.”

One traveller who was delayed at Colchester as services were suspended said on his arrival at Sudbury Station: “They got us off at Colchester and I got my mother-in-law to come and bring me to my car. I have never been on a train which has hit the buffers before, but there are a lot of little niggly problems with the Marks Tey line.”

The one train company provides services to London Liverpool Street and across east England.

The franchise brought together Anglia Railways, First Great Eastern, the West Anglia part of the WAGN operation and Stansted Express in April 2004.

The Marks Tey branch has stations at Chappel and Wakes Colne, Bures and Sudbury. Connections can be made from London Liverpool Street, Chelmsford and Colchester.