Railway worker dies after being hit by train in London

A railway worker has died after being hit by a train in southwest London.

Emergency services were called to Surbiton railway station shortly before midday on Tuesday following reports of a casualty on the tracks.

A 30-year-old man from Hampshire was pronounced dead at the scene.

British Transport Police (BTP) said the man's family had been informed and that officers were working with the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to establish the full circumstances behind his death.

The incident happened between Surbiton and Weybridge and it is understood the man was working on the tracks at the time.

Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, confirmed the man was an employee and said it was "an incredibly sad time for the railway family".

Transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris has called for lessons to be learned from the incident.

He tweeted: "My sincerest condolences to the friends, family and colleagues affected by the tragic incident near Surbiton station.

"While investigations continue, we will ensure lessons are learned."

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the worker who has died and their family members.

"Any loss of life on our railways is a tragedy.

"It would be wrong to speculate at this time about what has gone wrong, but a full and thorough investigation must take place, so lessons can be learned.

"Our union has been warning Network Rail about the alarming number of near misses and fatalities we have seen over the past year.

"Our Network Rail members do so much to keep our railways running smoothly day in, day out, and must be able to do this in a safe environment.

"Our union will never compromise on safety, and safety can never be taken for granted. It is simply not acceptable in this day and age that people go out to work and end up losing their lives."

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Langley, from BTP, said the man’s family was being supported by specially trained officers.

He added: "This is a tragic incident which has resulted in the very sad death of a railway worker.

"Our deepest condolences are with the man's family.”

South Western Railway said it had switched off the power in the affected area to allow emergency services access and that it expected delays until 7pm on Tuesday.

Additional reporting by PA