Eastleigh rail depot death: Man arrested after railway worker dies

The man, who has not been named, died while working at Long Welded Rail Depot off Dutton Lane

A railway worker has died while working at a Network Rail depot.

British Transport Police (BTP) was called to Long Welded Rail Depot off Dutton Lane in Eastleigh, Hampshire, at about 14:50 GMT on Monday.

It followed reports that a railway worker had been injured while using a piece of machinery. The 53-year-old man died at the scene.

A man, in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but has since been released while inquiries continue.

The family of the deceased man has been informed.

The man was injured while working at the north-east edge of the site where new track is welded

Paul Clifton - BBC South transport correspondent

This is highly unusual. It is the first fatality in the sprawling railway yards at Eastleigh in decades.

It happened at the north-east edge of the site where new track is welded into huge 216m (708ft) lengths, after delivery in shorter sections from British Steel in Scunthorpe.

Eastleigh is well known for having generations of local families spending their entire working lives on the railway. Eastleigh is the main depot serving the south of England.

Network Rail has worked very hard to improve the safety of its workers in recent years, and its record had been getting steadily better, until two track workers died at Margam in South Wales in July 2019.

Following a report last month, safety inspectors demanded Network Rail implement "real change" and the chief inspector of railways, Ian Prosser, spoke of "growing concerns that Network Rail was not doing enough to control risks to track workers".

It is the first death at Eastleigh's railway yards for decades

BTP said officers were working alongside the Health and Safety Executive to establish the "full circumstances behind the railway worker's death".

The force has appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "We're working with British Transport Police to understand what happened... As soon as we can say more, we will do so, but our thoughts are with the family and friends of our colleague."

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA union, said: "This is a sad day for our railway family and we send our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues for the Network Rail worker who was killed.

"While safety standards have improved in recent years, this fatality is a sad reminder of the need for rigorously safe working practices."