One person killed as train hits car

One person was killed today when a 100mph train struck a car on a level crossing.

The accident happened at Swainsthorpe in Norfolk, about five miles south of Norwich, and the person who died was in the car.

The train involved was the 6.22am Colchester to Norwich train operated by the One train company.

The crossing was an automatic half-barrier type which is controlled by lights. It was the scene of a crash in November 2005 when a car driver was killed by a passenger train.

One spokesman Jonathan Denby said: "The train was operating at its line speed of about 100mph and was about five or six miles south of Norwich when it struck a car on a level crossing at Swainsthorpe.

"The train stayed on the tracks and was able to stop about a mile and half beyond the crossing. Thankfully, there were no injuries to those on board. There were about 55 passengers on the train."

The incident comes just a day after the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) issued a policy statement about level crossings, saying they represent the biggest risk of train accidents that could kill passengers.

In November 2004, seven people were killed when a train hit a car that had stopped at a level crossing at Ufton Nervet near Reading in Berkshire. The dead included the driver of the car and the train driver.

Yesterday, the ORR said that except in exceptional circumstances, there should be no new level crossings on any railway.

It added that it was not effective only for rail companies to be responsible for managing safety at level crossings.

The ORR said decisions about level crossings must involve rail companies, highway authorities and other relevant organisations as early as possible.

There are about 7,700 level crossings on the national rail network.

Network Rail said today that it had started an investigation into the crash. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch, the body that is already looking into last week's Cumbria derailment, will also be investigating.

The passengers on today's One train were taken on to Norwich by coach. The line between Diss and Norwich was closed, with coach services replacing trains,

Later, the One company said there were 44 passengers and two crew on the train.

A police spokeswoman said the car involved was a silver Vauxhall Astra. She said she had no further details about the male occupant of the Astra who was killed.

The November 2005 incident at the same crossing also involved a train operated by the One company.

It was travelling from Norwich to Diss and a Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report into the incident said the car was driven on to the level crossing after the road traffic lights started flashing and after the barriers had been lowered.

The RAIB said the operation of the crossing did not contribute to the collision and no recommendations were made.

Copyright Press Association 2007